Faithfulness
So, I'm so sorry that I've been so late in getting up a post for you guys! I didn't mean to take a mini-hiatus, but...
One word. Math.
So... yeah.
I would love to be able to use this blog as an example of faithfulness on today's post, but that will henceforth be proven impossible. Because... I'm very unfaithful to it now that y'all know I have no schedule. XD This is turning into quite the ramble.
Let's get talking about this week's Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness.
It's such a hard one to master. Everyone loves a loyal, trustworthy, true-blue person. "Wish I could be just like so and so," we say. "Always there for me. Best friend a fella could have." But then we're not really sure how to get there ourselves.
It's nowhere near as simple as a lot of these other ones have been. Every Fruit of the Spirit is a struggle. This one, I think, is especially so.
It's dropping everything to rush over to a friend's house if she calls you in tears. It's showing up, day after day, to your sports practice, even when you know you're the worst player and your team will go on without you. Or in the inverse, it's showing up to sports practice even when the other players are all hopeless and even you can't save them from finishing last in the finals.
The thing about faithfulness is that it requires nitty-gritty work, day by day. It's doing the drudge work that no one else wants to do. It's going to visit your grandparent with Alzheimer's, sitting by their bed and talking to them even if they don't even remember your name. It's changing your sister or brother or child's dirty diapers, day after day, no matter how much you'd rather they just potty train themselves. It's the times when you want only to run away from your life and do things to serve yourself, but you don't.
Because no matter what the other person has to give to you, you are there for them. And nothing they can do will change your love for them. That's true faithfulness. And it's a model that was given to us by the only One who can ever get it perfect.
Only Jesus can truly love no matter what we do. He is perfect, and we are all so far from perfect. When he makes us free, we vow never to forsake him, and for a while as new Christians we are drunk on the joy of salvation. But then things get hard, and your honeymoon joy fades as you survey the fact that now you have to do life with Jesus.
And like a wandering young wife, we can be unfaithful to our Savior. We wander off, tasting the world and its promises, spray painted with aluminum and yellow nail polish, chips of colored glass, that we're told are the same and much more beautiful than the King's silver, gold, and jewels. And we believe it, too! Over and over. I find myself drawn to the world every day, tempted to take its baubles. Vanity Fair is all around us.
But no matter how unfaithful we are, Christ is always faithful.
And when we come crawling back through the mud to him, having lost ourselves yet again and crying for his grace, he never hesitates to pick us up. He cleans us off. His love does not waver.
That's faithfulness. And that's what we are called to strive for.
It's hard. But with God, all things are possible.
21 comments
Another wonderful, beautiful, amazing post. I love this series, Faith. Its so encouraging to read. :)
ReplyDeleteiviewrites.blogspot.com
Oh, Ivie. Thank you :) I'm so glad.
DeleteLove this post. And math... Augh. I completely understand.
ReplyDeleteIt stinks. That math, I mean. XD
DeleteBEAUTIFUL. How often I am guilty of selfishness when faithfulness would be my best friend, I can so relate to the situations you mentioned as an oldest sister and daughter. Thank you so much for this beautiful post Faith. <3
ReplyDeleteI'm the oldest, too! *high five* I'm so glad that this was helpful for you. I want you to grow closer to God. That's why I post these. :)
DeleteThis series gets better all the time! Thank you for yet another inspiring and uplifting post!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you, God, for giving me words to say. You're welcome, Gray. :)
DeleteThis was inspiring! I find myself being selfish and only wanting to take care of myself, but I know that if God was faithful and died even though he could have walked away and let us pay the death penalty ourselves. He was faithful and steadfast. Not only was he faithful, but he loved us while he was being faithful. That's a hard one to accomplish. You may be willing to do something you don't want to do and you may go to work or school everyday and always be on time, but being loving and kind while you do so can be difficult. But, like you said, every impossible thing in our eyes is possible with God. His death made life possible.
ReplyDeleteYes. It's so hard, but with God all things are possible. :)
DeleteI always strive to be faithful, lovely post!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It can be so hard!
DeleteThank you so much Faith I really needed this. God's perfect timing. Thanks Faith for doing this :)
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome :)
DeleteYou hit the mark every. single. time. I just want to read these Fruit of the Spirit posts over and over again.
ReplyDeleteFaithfulness is something I struggle with a LOT. I am not a very reliable person, and I can be sickeningly selfish, instead of doing for others. It's just...bad. I needed to read this post, because it's something I'm constantly working on, but fall so short with. So THANK YOU for sharing!
Also this: "We wander off, tasting the world and its promises, spray painted with aluminum and yellow nail polish, chips of colored glass, that we're told are the same and much more beautiful than the King's silver, gold, and jewels."
WHOA. o_o That was gorgeous and so poignant. It smacked me right in the face, in a GOOD way! You have such a way with words!!!
Aww, Christine. You're SO sweet. I feel like I say that to every comment you leave. But it's so true.
DeleteHaha, I think I spent about ten minutes writing that one line! Glad it was good!
This probably sounds silly, but this post made me think of the loyalty of a dog. XD I mean, dogs (at least my dog) is ALWAYS excited to see me. She loves me no matter if I yell at her or get mad at her. She's loyal to the end. :) I guess I'm saying, maybe we should strive to be more like our dogs. XD But of course, we can only be faithful with God's help. He's the one to look to when we feel like giving up on our friends and family. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post, Faith! <3
Yes! I think dogs are one of the greatest examples of loyalty. They're terrific. And I'm so thankful that God is always there to help us. :)
DeleteI love this! Such a good description of faithfulness.
ReplyDeleteAnd haha, math. Ugghhg. I 100% understand. :)
Alexa
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ReplyDeleteYour posts are always so up-lifting and inspiring every time I read them! You give wonderful advice and encourage people to go on. Thank you Faith, thank you!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHello, friends! Do make yourselves comfortable and stay for a while--I'd love to chat with you! I simply ask that you keep it clean. :)