Faithfulness

Faithfulness hinges on what we value most, combined with commitment. There is a powerful tendency for humans to remain very faithful to what they believe is highly important. It could be friendship, family name, spouse, employer and many more.

Jesus asked Peter three times in John 21:15-17 if he loved Him. Jesus wanted to be more important than anything in the life of Peter. Taking into account Peter’s weighty responsibility, Peter was expected to be faithful to Jesus with the staunchest commitment, by recognising Jesus as the most important in his entire life. The meaning is clear.

Jesus must be loved supremely. Nothing must be loved than Him in our lives. If we love Jesus above everything, we should be eager to give up all our earthly possessions, forsake our earthly friends, our carnal heart’s desires, and always obey Him above all to become faithful to Him. Abiding with the laid down God’s course is hard, amid this world’s beguiling distractions, clamouring for our attention and time. To human nature, the world is attractive, and charges man to expend his energy in self-satisfaction. According to Jesus, the way is very difficult and narrow; it requires discipline and a great deal of vision to be faithful to the Lord’s course. The Saints who hold God in the highest esteem will have the opportunity to make heaven in the end. That’s why we are enjoined to be faithful.

Abraham was faithful to God by obeying His words. He never flickered in believing God’s promise. His faith grew stronger indeed and brought glory to the Almighty God. He was highly convinced that God was capable of doing all He had promised. Daniel was faithful to God, and God made him a governor in the land of slavery. His enemies rose against him, but God granted him victory.

In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo were fully persuaded. Nothing was able to make them bow to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar. The thought of punishment, threats, and consequences did not make them succumb. They had the assurance of God’s promises and had faith in obeying Him.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s attitude must be emulated by real children of God. An attitude that makes you believe God will come to your rescue at all times, and even if He doesn’t, you will never bow to Satan.

God may not debar your enemies from throwing you into the fire, but He will surely save you from being hurt or burnt. When life throws you into the fire of diabetes, cancer, sickness, financial instability, divorce and many more, the Lord is saying, you will never be burned because Jesus is with you in the fire. All you need is to remain focused on God and be faithful to Him.