Faithfulness is one of the Fruits of the Spirit, and one we are called to exhibit at the best and worst of times. How are you faithful when good things happen? And how are you faithful when faced with adversity and hardship?
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (Revelation 2:10)
It’s easy to be faithful when things are going well, isn’t it? When life is moving along smoothly, when good things happen, we can easily smile at God and say, “Thanks!”
But life is full of seasons, and along with the good ones are some bad ones. Some really bad ones. It’s harder to smile then. Harder to be grateful.
It’s harder to be faithful, too.
When injustice or hurt or suffering enter our lives, we look for solutions anywhere – even in the wrong places. We try the get-rich-quick, 10-pounds-in-10-days, get-well-soon elixirs that will surely save us from what ails us.
But are we being faithful? Or are we condemning ourselves in our weakness?
Finding the strength to be faithful in adversity
Remaining faithful in times of adversity is not the easy road. It doesn’t even feel like the safe road. But it is the right road.
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were brought before King Nebuchadnezzar because they refused to worship idols, they chose the fiery furnace rather than submit to this sin (Daniel 3:8-30).
Why would they choose such a painful punishment and death? What gave them the strength to remain faithful?
They could remain faithful because so was their God.
God is faithful to us. And He calls us to be faithful in return so that we can reach the reward that is waiting for us.
The three men told the king this: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. (Daniel 3:17-18)”
Even if he does not…
Like the verse in Revelation, being faithful doesn’t always mean being saved from hardship or death. Sometimes it means faithfulness until death.
Now most of us will never have our faithfulness tested to this extreme. But will we be tested by other forms of adversity? Yes.
The question is, will we remain faithful? Will we find out strength in God rather than ourselves or man-made cure-alls?
I hope so. And it starts with steeping ourselves in the Word, in strengthening ourselves through Him, and remembering that no matter what, God will be faithful to us.
Faithfulness is where our faith intersects with our trust. May we trust today in the One who is faithful.
Have a blessed Monday!
Looking for more encouragement and inspiration today? Try these posts:
Our Time is Not the Same as God’s Time
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