Faithfulness

Faithfulness

Pastor Ben of Canvas Church preached about Daniel this morning.  One of the things said about Daniel was the he was faithful.  I started thinking about the chain effect that faithfulness can have.  For Daniel that meant that he was preserved from the lions when he was cast into their den.

God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel was still alive the next morning when the king came to check on him.  Because of that, the king made a decree throughout his whole dominion that people were to tremble and fear the God that Daniel served.  This would be equal to, and greater than President Obama making a decree that the whole of the United States had to tremble at and fear God.

This has caused me to ponder the trickle down effects of faithfulness.  Consider, a couple comes to the Lord.  They are faithful in raising their children to fear and serve the Lord. Several of those children are called by God into ministry and touch the lives of many.  They also raise their children to love and serve Jesus, and several more are called by God into ministry.  Churches are established, lives are touched and transformed, and they raise their children to follow Jesus.  I think you get the picture.  It goes on and on.  Several generations after that one couple gave their lives to Jesus, hundreds upon hundreds of people have turned their lives over to Jesus because one couple was faithful.  And it keeps multiplying.

When you think about the trickle down effects of faithfulness, it should spur all of us on to be faithful.  1 Cor. 4:2 says, “It is required of stewards (servants) that they be found faithful.”  That’s all that’s required – just be faithful.  That’s something all of us can be.  It doesn’t require a college degree, riches, any special resources.  It’s something all of us can do.  Be faithful.

In Matthew 25 Jesus told a parable of a man who went on a journey and divided his resources amongst his servants.  The servants doubled what had been given to them by being faithful, and he told them, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.”

With faithfulness being such a powerful attribute, it should spur us all on to even greater faithfulness.

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman