Martha Olawale

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9

I have signed off a few letters and received a few ending with ‘Faithfully yours.” We adopted these two words as a sign of formality and a simple way to end a message. However, until a recent study in my Bible Group, I never thought much about growing in faithfulness as a fruit of the Spirit. I say and write it, but never beyond formality.

Faithfulness is a fundamental attribute of God. It walks hand in hand with hope and speaks directly to God’s nature and His promises to us. God’s hope in humanity is tied to His faithfulness. For instance, because of His faithfulness, He was committed to His promise to rescue us from our sins, and despite all the defiance of humanity, He still sent Christ to die in our stead. But for faithfulness, God would have given up on humanity long before Jesus showed up on the scene. Faithfulness is consistent and never gives up hope.

I’ve heard messages and read different books on the Fruits of the Spirit, but the focus usually rests on goodness, kindness, and others, but hardly faithfulness. This might be because we think it’s not a fruit that can be developed in us by the Holy Spirit or that faithfulness is reserved only for God. However, if God does not believe it’s a fruit we need, it won’t be on the list.

My husband is the most faithful person in my life; he stands as a warrior no matter what life throws at me because both our hearts pant toward Jesus. His faithfulness is not momentary or seasonal; it’s a nature every godly man shares with God. Also, although I lost my Mum years ago, I’ve been blessed by a woman who has stood in her place for decades. She loves God, and His nature of faithfulness rings steadfast in all her relationships. Although she gets nothing materially out of her kindness, she would fast and pray if she knew I was going through a difficult season.

Being faithful goes beyond what others can see and reward you for. It cannot be masked by our brokenness or feigned by our human ego. It calls for a significant dedication to drill our core to reveal the heart of God. I knew that when I asked God to teach me how to be a faithful Christian, He would walk me through a few roads I’d not trodden before, but I was unprepared for the demands of being faithful. It was easier to practice goodness through hospitality because all I needed to do was send a gift, a kind note, or show up for a few minutes. Faithfulness demands more; it sounds the alarm at odd times of the day and places me in awkward situations that challenge my personality.

Living faithfully Christian means you are in partnership with God for a particular person, place, or thing, and you are ready to pray, cry, and tarry as long as it requires until they make it through whatever they are going through. It’s the most selfless attribute a Christian can grow in because it pulls from within to reflect without. It doesn’t give instant gratification but offers prolonged long-suffering with others. Faithfulness to others makes you stand by them as they endure difficult seasons. It strengthens you to hold their hands, determined not to let go. It would wake you up in the middle of the night to pray for a neighbor, a friend, or a co-worker until God sees them through.

Lamentations 3:22-23-, describes God’s faithfulness as something renewed daily. It says, “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.” To cultivate that nature of God, we must live above the confines of “me, myself, and I” to be available to hold the hands of the weak and pray with the weary because, in our faithfulness, we express God’s love.