Faithful
By Karen D’Amore
“…Well done, good
and faithful servant!”
Mathew
25:21a (NIV)
On
our tenth wedding anniversary, I asked my husband the question, “So, after ten
years of marriage…if you had to choose one word to describe me, what would that
one word be?” Aware of my husband’s propensity to embellish things with humor, I
knew I was asking a loaded question! I was pleasantly surprised when he took my
question to heart, and responded in sincerity with the word…“Faithful.”
As
a writer, I LOVE words; as a wife who loves words…I loved the word my husband
chose. Merriam-Webster’s defines “faithful” accordingly:
-obsolete: full of faith
-steadfast in affection or allegiance:
loyal
-firm in adherence to promises of
duty: conscientious
-given with strong assurance: binding
(1)
Upon
reflecting on the true definition of the word “faithful,” I felt an
overwhelming sense of responsibility to consistently uphold and exemplify its
meaning, so as a constant exhortation, I had the word “Faithful” permanently
inscribed on my inner left wrist.
A
year later, I was deeply impacted by an interview between Sean Hannity and Rev.
Billy Graham. When asked, “How do you want people to remember you?” Billy
Graham responded, “I want them to remember that I was faithful: faithful to the
gospel, faithful to the call that God gave me!” (2) Billy Graham’s response ignited and
inspired the same desire in my heart. I too, long to be “full of faith”;
faithful to the gospel, and to God’s call on my life! As honorable as it is to
make faithfulness a hallmark in our human relationships, the faithfulness that
matters most is in our relationship with God. “The eyes of the
Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts
are fully committed to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NLT).
As
Christ-followers, our faithfulness to God is demonstrated through our obedience
to Him. His heart becomes our heart; His mind our mind; His will our will. We
cannot be faithful to Him…while choosing our will over His. Jesus, our supreme
example of faithfulness, had only one desire, “…Not My will, but Yours, be done”
(Luke 22:42b, NIV). His permanent inscriptions of His faithfulness and
obedience to the Father - - His nail scarred hands - - should become our
continual exhortation to be faithfully obedient.
Starting
with faithfulness in the little things, let’s be good stewards of our families,
jobs, finances, ministries and in that which God has entrusted us. And may our
faithfulness reflect an eternal pursuit to hear His descriptive words…
“…Well done, good and
faithful servant!”
GOING DEEPER:
1. What interferes with your faithfulness to God?
FURTHER READING:
Married
to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at
Craig Berns Salon and Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She’s
on the Oakwood Women’s Ministry Special Events planning team.
