Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”

Faithfulness is a true act of love. In the verse mentioned above, the author is voicing the measurement of God’s commitment to His people. As finite humans, I believe it’s very difficult to fully grasp how unshakable and unwavering God is to the welfare and sustainability of His children. The Bible tells us that even when we are faithless, He remains faithful—He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). It’s wonderful to know that when our faith grows weak or fail as Christians, we can rest assure that God will remain true to his promise to still save us through Christ Jesus. God’s faithfulness is rooted in His nature and character, which means He cannot lie or change.

God has called believers to grow in faithfulness through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Christ, the Holy Spirit builds the fruit of faithfulness within us. Jesus literally tells us that when we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). To abide in Christ means to rest and dwell in Him; to continue permanently; to be firm and immovable. Because Jesus is our source of life, He’s the only one who can provide the spiritual sustenance we need to be all that He has destined us to be. We have to spend time with God, daily. The word tells us to meditate on the law of the Lord day and night. Those who do this will be like tress planted along a riverbank, bearing fruit each season; Their leaves will never wither, and they will prosper in all they do (Psalm 1:2-3). God is calling us to have our lives shaped by him and to let the word penetrate our hearts as we sit with, ponder on, and recall the scriptures in our minds. When we meditate on the word, we think about how it connects to our lives and what it means to live by it. We are blessed when we bear fruit because that’s the clear indicator that we are living a life that is prosperous and in-turn utilizing our gifts to bless others. We are called to be useful to the kingdom to bring Glory to God. When we fully surrender and submit to the Lord, true transformation begins to happen because surrender leads us to a life that is steadfast in love, obedience, and trust. This helps us to remain faithful despite temptation or suffering because God’s Spirit is working in us. This ultimately testifies that God’s grace is powerful enough to change the human heart. The Bible says, “For it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

One of the things I’ve learned is that when our faithfulness aligns with God’s will, God allows His purpose to unfold through us. When we obey the Lord, his Glory is displayed on the earth. The word tells us that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). Our faithfulness in God should be a mirror of his word and the only way that can happen is by choosing to live a life that is fully submitted to him. Our relationship with God has to be the number one focus in our lives and the consistency in following Jesus becomes living proof to the people around us that God is faithful and always keeps his promises because he is gracious in all he does (Psalm 145:13). The Lord can be completely trusted and every word he speaks will come to pass.

Faithfulness always produces fruit and that fruit brings glory to God because it flows from him to us through the Holy Spirit. When our lives produce Godly fruit, others are drawn to the source of life, Jesus Christ. “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20). We have to remember that we were created for God, and our purpose is to live in a way that reflects his greatness.

Friends, remain FAITHFUL.