On one occasion I was given a very expensive pen in recognition for something I had done. It was a beautiful pen – the kind you feel good about owning. But it didn’t work very well. It skipped and didn’t write smoothly. So I went back to my old reliable – my trusty BIC pen.
When something is faithful and true, it is a lot more valuable to you than something that’s new and fancy, but doesn’t work very well. Well, people are like that, too. A person who is fancy and flamboyant, just may not be too reliable. But a person who is faithful and true is greatly appreciated.
In Galatians 5:22-23, the Bible talks about qualities of life that are the fruit of the Spirit. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith…” Now this seventh aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is faith.
“Faith” is actually a word that means “to trust in something.” But often this word is used to refer to that which causes faith and trust, and then is means “faithfulness; reliability.” That is the sense in which faith is used here, which is why the New King James version (as well as the NAS, the ESV and the NIV) all translate it as “faithfulness.” So this verse reads, “The fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.” You see, this is not referring to the fact that you trust God. It is the idea the people can trust you – because you are reliable.
In evaluating yourself in this category, are you reliable and faithful? As a reliable parent, can your kids trust you that you’ll do what you say? Are you a faithful spouse that your mate can count on? What about your community, or church – are you known for your faithfulness? That’s God’s desire for you, you know. “The fruit of the Spirit is…faithfulness.”
Now you know the real meaning of the word.
Hey! If you’re not faithful – you’re not much. Think about it!