Faithfulness and Diligence
"His lord said unto him, Well
done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord" (Matthew 25:21).
The force of faithfulness is a fruit
of the spirit that you received when you were born again. Webster's dictionary
defines faithful as "full of faith, believing, strong or firm in
one's faith, firmly adhering to duty, a true fidelity, loyal, true to
allegiance, constant in the performance of duties or services."
A faithful person consistently does
what is right, even if it looks like it could be to his disadvantage. Psalms 106:3 says, "Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly
do what is right" (New International Version). We can't be godly without
being faithful because faithfulness is God's character:
It is because of the Lord's mercy
and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions
fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and
faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23, The Amplified Bible). God is faithful (reliable,
trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended
on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord (I Corinthians 1:9, The Amplified Bible).
II Chronicles 16:9 says God is looking for faithfulness, "For the eyes of
the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in
the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…." The Hebrew word
for perfect there means "loyal, devoted, dedicated, faithful."
Kenneth and I have had financial
trouble, challenges with sickness and other things, but when we have stood on
the Word and refused to give up, God has always answered our faith with His
action!
Once you find a promise in the Word,
don't disqualify yourself from receiving by saying, "God would never do
that for me." Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans
12:2). Let God's Word change your
thinking. You will prosper in any area as your soul [mind, will and emotions]
prospers in understanding about that area from the Word, and you take that
knowledge and act on it. Your inner man prospers when you believe the Word. Your
circumstances prosper when you receive what He says and act on it.
Be faithful to keep meditating the
promises in the Word until they overtake your life. Everything you receive from
God starts with the Word in your heart. Proverbs
4:20-23 says, "My son, attend to my
words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes;
keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find
them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out
of it are the issues of life."
Faithfulness will energize you to be
diligent even if you have never been that way in the natural.
The Word repeatedly says we are to
diligently seek God, hearken to what He says and obey His commands. Why? Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says when you hearken diligently, blessings overtake you!
Because ".he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews
11:6). Diligence increases you. As Proverbs 10:4 says, "The hand of the diligent maketh rich."
Be diligent and faithful to God in
your natural life as well. Make a decision to be faithful on your job, at your
church, in your prayer life and in putting the Word first place in your life.
Our soul prospers as we spend time
in the Word, believe it and create a lifestyle of obeying God. The result will
be what I John 3:22 says: "And we receive from Him whatever we ask,
because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and
injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing
to Him" (The Amplified Bible).
The number one law of receiving is don't
quit! Stay with the Word! Stay with what God has told you to do. Even if
you make a mistake, repent and get back on track. That's faithfulness. It's
part of the prosperous life because "a faithful man shall abound with
blessings." (Proverbs 28:20). [Continue at true Prosperity (4)]
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