Is God Asking You to Be Faithful?
One of the most interesting fruits of the Spirit is faithfulness. It is so unlike most of us, but it is completely and wholly like God. God's faithfulness is one of His most dominant qualities. God stays faithful even to hostile and undeserving people (See Ex 34:6; Ps 36:5; Rom 5:8).
Each one of the fruit of the Spirit is an aspect of love, and faithfulness is surely one of the aspects of love. The ideas contained in faithfulness are to stay connected, keep blessing, and provide security. When God prompts or whispers stay connected to that person or keep blessing that person or keep providing security to that person, He is saying "be faithful."
Because I really want you to get these ideas and the content may be longer than you are willing to take in at once, I will be splitting this article into three parts -- one part for each of the ideas presented. Today, we'll look at what God is asking you to do by staying connected -- exercising His attribute of faithfulness.
Stay Connected
There may be people in your life who you really want to separate from, but it is clear that God wants you to stay connected to them. Some of these are family, some are friends, some are co-workers, some are neighbors, some are church friends, and some are random people in the community you keep running into. God will at times whisper to you that you need to stay connected to someone, whether by making the phone call to them, dropping them a note or a text, or even inviting them to coffee. This could even be a person you are at odds with, or one who has wounded you, but God is asking you to stay connected. It is often not because any particular note or get together will change them, but your constant presence in their life will keep them attached to God and you, and later they will come around to both.
I have talked with a number of parents who want to write off one of their children because of some offense or lifestyle that the child has pursued. And, yet, God whispers, "Faithfulness -- stay connected." I just had this happen to a family I was coaching. Their adult son got involved in drugs, and their desire was to distance themselves from him. But the father sensed that God was saying stay connected; be faithful. Because of this whisper, the father was able to work with the son and begin solving the drug and relationship problem with his son. Staying connected is not easy and it is not immediate, but it is what God whispers to us about some of the people in our life.
Let me be clear that God does not whisper "faithfulness" in regards to all of the people who are currently in our lives. There are some people who you need to get distance from -- people that you need to cut out of your life. If someone is harming you or influencing you to participate in evil or manipulating you in some way, you need physical, emotional, or mental distance from them. Some of us have a rescue mindset, which causes us to want to stay connected to and rescue everyone. You may not be the answer for that person you desperately want to see get help. Let God do the whispering.
God wants us to grow gardens of relational fruit so we can enjoy the wonders of the relationships that gather around us. Life is relationships, and when you listen to the Lord prompt you to engage with people through faithfulness, you grow a rich, relational life. Listen for His voice that says, "stay connected to ___________." He will guide you in growing the fruit of faithfulness, and everyone will be blessed.
I look forward to interacting with you during your spiritual journey. Please email me at info@ptlb.com to let me know how God is working in and through your life. Keep learning and growing in wisdom and in truth; I'm confident that your greatest life is just ahead.
In His service,
Pastor Gil
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