In It For The Long Haul
Meagan Blessing 
A practical look at the character trait of faithfulness; what it is and why it matters.
The dictionary definition of faithful is: steadfast in affection or allegiance : LOYAL.
Loyalty is not dependent on the actions or inactions of the recipient. When it comes to God's faithfulness to us, this is great news because he has decided to be faithful no matter what we do or do not do.
How do we know this? Well, it's documented in the most published historical book on the planet.
"Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us, for he cannot disown us who are part of himself, and he will always carry out his promises to us." 2 Timothy 2:13 (TLB).
God has sworn an oath to himself to be faithful to us. And since he cannot break his promises because he is not a liar, he cannot renege on his oath. Lucky for us, we are the beneficiaries of his faithfulness.
This sort of unwavering faithfulness is foreign to us. In an age where we can change previous plans with a text and think nothing of it, faithfulness is a character trait that, while desirable, most of us would agree has limits.
Our faithfulness depends on the recipient's actions or inactions, and rightly so at times. There are issues of safety that can come into play.
But God is not in danger from our actions; therefore, he can remain faithful to us no matter what.
The fact that God is always for us because he is faithful gives us confidence that even when others are against us, we have someone on our side who loves us and has our back, Someone who has more capacity to help us than anyone else on earth. He is in it for the long haul.
"If God is on our side, who can ever be against us?" Romans 8:31b (TLB).
As God continues to show up for us, we have the opportunity to trust that he will always be there when we need him. In my experience, he doesn't show up to magically fix my problems.
God doesn't do magic.
But he does show up to support and comfort me. We don't like it when people only want to be around us for what we can do for them with no interest in knowing us as a person.
Why would God be any different?
Sometimes God does something for me, like shifting something in my circumstances that I could not have moved. He will do whatever is appropriate to help me reach my full potential without enabling me to stay stuck.
His aim is not to rescue me because, in every challenging life situation, only one thing can change at a time: my circumstances or me. If my circumstances change, I remain in the same place.
God wants to help you become the person he designed you to be. That person is better than you are right now; more patient, joyful, less fearful, and with a greater understanding of the unwavering faithfulness of the One who loves you most.
As we experience God's faithfulness when we least deserve it, we develop a greater capacity to be faithful in the various situations and relationships in our own lives. We find we are not so easily offended. Perhaps we learn how to lean into tension, have difficult conversations without anxiety or irritation, or walk with someone through the messy middle of an unpleasant circumstance they are facing.
In the process, we discover that hardship strengthens relationships. We learn to love better; trust grows, and shared experiences forged in the fires of life create lifelong friendships.
What is the most critical component of faithfulness you look for in your relationships?
How is this tied to your willingness to trust others?
Has someone else been faithful/loyal to you when you knew you didn't deserve it?
Did that undeserved faith encourage you to be a better person in the future?
If you have wondered where God was (or even if he was present) at certain times in your life, you can find out for yourself. Join the Rising Lights Creative community and check out the journalling activations for Faithfulness in the Equipped to do Good course.
Categories: : Equipping, faithfulness, Fruit of the Spirit, Mindset