Dear Amy,

What fuels faithfulness?

The fruit of the Spirit is … faithfulness

― Galatians 5:22

Faithfulness is such an honourable character trait, perhaps the noblest of them all. To be loyal, steadfast, trustworthy and true⸺surely these words make our hearts soar. They speak to the very heart of noble character, of character that honours the Lord. So where does faithfulness come from? There are two answers to this.

Firstly, the Lord’s own faithfulness, evident throughout Scripture, from where he first introduces himself to Moses, right up to John’s vision on the island of Patmos of the risen Lord Jesus, the rider on the white horse.

And [the LORD] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

― Exodus 34:6-7

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

― Psalm 25:10

For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

― Psalm 33:4

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

― Psalm 36:5

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

― Lamentations 3:21-23

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

― 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

― Hebrews 10:23

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

― 1 John 1:9

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

― Revelation 19:11

The Lord’s own faithfulness to us makes our hearts burn with fire, fuelling our own faithfulness, our noblest thoughts and deeds, through and for him.

Secondly, consider the word itself, pistis in the original Greek. Mostly that word is not in fact translated as faithfulness, but rather faith.

Pistis — persuasion that is credence; moral conviction (of religious truth or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher) especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth.

― Strong's Greek Lexicon

Faithfulness then is fueled by being full of faith. Genuine, all-in, life-changing faith in the one who is faithful to all he has said, and indeed all he is, gives us the power to live lives that are worthy of our calling, manifesting in the noblest of hearts, and lasting faithfulness.

Look to him Amy, whose name is Faithful and True, be full of faith, and let that fuel your own faithfulness, to him and for him, forever! 🙏