FAITHFULNESS Faithfulness is not just a one point action in the life of a Christian.  Faithfulness is  unending and goes on into eternity.  We don’t ever want to be questioned by God regarding our faithfulness to Him.  We want to  make  it  our  business  to  make  sure that God knows of our ongoing love relationship with Him (Jude 21).  We need to be certain regarding the knowledge of our bond with our God through Jesus Christ.  Christians often  find  their  lives  filled with difficulties and unfair things. When we experience such things in life we are clearly admonished to show what we are made of and hang in there.  Every one of our struggles is an opportunity to show God, others, and ourselves that we are for real in our relationship with our God through Christ.  Satan intends for our  struggles  to  break  us  and  tear  us   away  from God.  God intends our struggles to be our stepping stones for developing a greater faith and trust in God.  Revelation 2:10 speaks of such difficulties in life.  We are counseled by Christ to “Be faithful unto death,” so that Christ might be able to give us the crown of life.  Christians are not to run hot and cold.  They are to express strength, power, and stability in their lives hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3).   By our fruits the subject of our faithfulness is clearly seen by our God.  Sadly, many try to jerk God around and simply want to use Him when they think they need Him.  These are unstable running hot and cold having their ups and downs in life and seem never to get it — that this is not what being in Christ is to be like.  The faithful are not to be like others who choose to be lukewarm and are tossed with uncertainties and insecurities (Eph. 4:14).   Christians can with free will be   beguiled  and  lose  their  salvation.   This obviously aught not to happen.   Consider the counsel of Hebrews 3:12-14,          “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence   steadfast to the end.”   Christians must daily and diligently continue to work out (pay attention to) their own salvation with fear (sobriety) and trembling (Phil. 2:12).  There is no coasting into heaven.  There are no days off or    vacations.  We are to have an unending, abiding, supportive, relationship with our God that is growing as we get closer to the day of our death or the day of our Lord’s return.  Faithfulness in marriage and unto God is seen in the ideas of stability, security, and trustworthiness.  Christians constantly will be obeying God and not man (Ac. 5: 29).  The cooperative submissive disciple of Christ will not exalt their own will being done but rather will exalt the idea of Christ’s will being done in them.  Jesus teaches us about what He calls faithful and wise stewards or servants in Luke 12:42.  Jesus says that servants that are attentive and watching when the master comes will be blessed by His sitting down to eat with them in Luke 12:37.  We don’t want, need, or get a break in our marriage relationship; and we don’t want, need, or get a break regarding our ongoing supportive relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.   Our Christian walk or lifestyle is a process wherein we are to be      maturing in Christ.  There is constant life, motion, and change as we are “going on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1-6).  Christianity that becomes stale or stagnant is false and does not represent the dynamics that is found in the  living Christ.   Faithfulness includes making time to study the word from God (2 Tim. 2:15).  Faithfulness includes changes or growth in the area of the Christian virtues spoken of in 2 Peter 1:5-11.  Faithfulness is evidenced by everyone including the God you worship in your attendance pattern.  Growing Christians will not choose to purposefully devalue opportunities to strengthen themselves spiritually (Heb. 10:25).   The faithful will have their priorities right and their efforts will be seen as seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:32).  It should be noted that these things are to become more and more second nature to the one who is in the process of maturing in Christ.  You see, the things spoken of here as expressions of faithfulness are often seen as boring chores by many and therefore they are difficult.  With this immature mindset many try to get out of the privileged relationships and responsibilities God wants to give to His children.  Sadly, many are influenced by Satan and are not as faithful before God as they need to be.  These often conduct themselves before others in a way that is seen as seeking minimal Christianity.  They do not realize that by conducting themselves this way they set themselves up for minimal spiritual  blessings.  These who choose to be minimal or marginal Christians are often the ones who complain that for some reason they are not getting much out of their     Christianity.  This is obviously not Christ’s fault.  The devil is the one who   invites us to be somewhat lukewarm regarding our Christianity.  Faithfulness to Christ or in marriage relationships is not interested in earning points.  It is simply interested in DOING what is right.  Faithfulness is not real complicated.  It simply is learning what it means to God to do right and then doing it with consistency and reliability.