There is a process by which we acquire divine virtues, including fidelity, which has been the subject of our meditation for several weeks. It is not enough to know that we need it, to listen to a message on the subject; there are specific actions to be taken that will inevitably lead to transformation. Below are the first three points to consider.
The awareness of being on a mission on earth
The first thing to do when starting the process is to develop the awareness of being on mission on earth, that the Christian life is a mission, not a consumer enterprise. It is not a process of accumulating personal goods and consuming, even though that is how many see and live it.
We consume divine goods that must be renewed daily. And whenever we encounter difficulties, we turn to our divine suppliers to complain about the delay in supply, or even the disruption of supply. Sometimes we write letters of protest. And sometimes we decide to break the contract. If that's the case, I don't go to church anymore. If that's the case, I don't want to serve anymore. If that's the case, I'll be late. We always have a penalty that we impose on our divine supplier for what we consider to be His inconsistency in supplying divine goods into our lives. But this is a mistake, a great mistake.
Think about the last time you were upset or irritated because you had a problem or because something in your life didn't happen the way you wanted it to. Human beings, since the fall, are fundamentally selfish and want and believe that the whole world revolves around them. The desire to be served is in everyone.
For many of us, we are born again, and God is truly blessed to have people like us. We make the effort to go to church, to prayer, so God owes us something. And He must do it because it is His job to do it. Since His job is God, His job is to provide, so He must do it, regardless of the circumstances. This is a consumer way of operating. We are not meant to be consumers.
In this kingdom, we are people whom God in His mercy has saved. We are people to whom He has done a very great good. You can imagine the greatest need you have in life, what God has done for you is infinitely beyond that need. This means that we remain in debt for life.
If the whole world were to fall on your head today, if everything you possess were to be stolen from you, if you were to lose everything you have, including your health, in your position with the Lord, you must always be in thanksgiving. Why? Because what He has given you is far greater than anything you have lost.
Our actions reflect our true beliefs, and unfortunately, the vast majority of Christians do not believe what God says. They have a different view of life than God has of their lives. Many of our problems stem from the fact that we have a view of human existence that is the opposite of what God thinks. Thus, people are reluctant to do things that are necessary in the service of God because they operate as consumers rather than missionaries. They behave like owners, not stewards. They control everything in their lives and leave no room for the Lord.
We develop this awareness when we focus our thoughts on Jesus. You cannot meditate at length on Jesus' mandate to go and make disciples of the nations, or continually pray before the Lord, asking for revelation, without being filled with the awareness that we are on a mission on earth. We understand that our role is not to go to church to be blessed and then live our lives.
We realize that we are not here simply to get the most out of God, to enjoy God's goodness, but to participate in giving Him praise by our existence, and to advance His kingdom. Every Christian is a servant who is mandated by God to act for His kingdom.
And it's not optional.
And you don't know someone's faithfulness until they've received the answer to their prayers and all of a sudden they're off the same you don't know someone's faithfulness until they're really suffering because of Jesus, not because of their own sins, but because of Jesus the two men you so what do we see here? Jesus says you are the one of the earth the salt of the earth it's a you have something that you're supposed to bring to the world.
But Jesus also says, but salt when it loses its flavor it is no longer good for anything. In other words, we are that of the earth, but it is possible for a Christian to become good for nothing.
He has equipped you to bring something, to bring the life of God, to bring the word of God, to bring healing, to bring peace, to bring joy, to bring transformation, he has equipped you to bring something into someone's life.
Awareness of the value of loyalty
The second thing in this process of acquiring the virtue of faithfulness is the need to become aware of the value of faithfulness. And how do you know the value of faithfulness? First, by consulting what God says about it. The first question to ask yourself is:
- what are God's thoughts on the matter, then
- what are the benefits of acquiring the virtue of fidelity and
- What are the dangers of not acquiring this virtue?
What are God's thoughts?
To know where people are, I ask them to give me several verses on the subject, and generally, they are not able to do it. I did the same thing during this teaching, no one claimed to be able to provide the three verses requested. If we do not know what God says about it, we are still far from knowing the value of fidelity and we risk missing out on the necessary in-depth work. This means that the temptation to be unfaithful will continue to inhabit you, and sometimes even dominate you.
What should become second nature will remain forced, difficult to sustain. Any Christian virtue we want to acquire requires a systematic application of God's Word to one's life. And it is without this that many remain untransformed. They are satisfied with having heard a message.
When you apply yourself to it, it only takes a few days to see that God will begin to show you what He thinks about faithfulness by illuminating the verses you have meditated on; but He will also show you in your life, where you have been unfaithful; things you would never have thought of. If you hear a message and the Holy Spirit has not yet revealed something about yourself, you have not yet grasped this message. He has not yet changed anything in you. If the Holy Spirit has not challenged you on a certain area of your life, either to congratulate you as a good and faithful servant, or to show you that there are things to review, the work is not complete.
What are the benefits?
It's important to understand the benefits. Once, the disciples questioned Jesus about leaving everything to follow Him, a way of asking what fate awaited them. Christian infidelity sometimes stems from the fact that they don't know that God rewards faithfulness. They focus on the momentary difficulty and lose sight of the finish line. They don't see that one day the master will say to them, 'Good and faithful servant.'
What happens when we are faithful?
Jesus affirms that those who are faithful in what is another's will receive what is theirs; that those who are faithful in finances will receive true riches.
When we are faithful, we receive divine validation, we receive divine approval. We receive even more authority. We receive even more power. And we also receive eternal rewards.
Know the dangers
Not only are many unaware of the benefits of fidelity, they are also unaware of the dangers of infidelity. They believe they can afford not to be faithful in prayer, in fellowship, that it's no big deal. They won't be faithful in service because, for them, it's no big deal. But according to Jesus, this is not the case.
What are the dangers of infidelity?
- According to the parable of the talents, there is a dispossession that will occur. Not only will new graces not come to the person, but even what one has will be taken away and given to someone else.
- They are disapproved by the Lord, they suffer condemnation.
- They are stripped of everything.
Focus your thoughts on these things. This will develop an awareness within us of the value God places on things. Some don't see these as God's thoughts, but simply a teaching given at church that they feel entitled to ignore. Without meditation, we end up relativizing what we have heard. We are not talking about changing our behavior. We are talking about changing what we believe inside. We can temporarily change our behavior, but as soon as a constraint arises, we return to the old way of doing things without a moment's hesitation. There has been no construction within us, which constrains us to a certain way of being and doing.
Developing an awareness of the value God himself places on these things is therefore essential. The teaching given must become for you a revelation of the Father's heart. And when it does, you yourself will cry out, "Father, change me." You will treat infidelity as an enemy, an enemy rather than an ally of your well-being, because that's what it is. When you see as God sees, you see infidelity as a great danger to your life, not a solution.
Consider those who came before us
And the third point to begin the process of acquiring the virtue of faithfulness is to consider those who have gone before us, and see the result of their faith. We see in the Word of God that none of those who have been faithful to God have ended badly, including those who died for their faith.
Stephen, for example, was stoned. And he had a revelation from Jesus. The heavens opened and he saw Jesus standing in heaven. He had a breathtaking experience of the glory of God. We would have been miserable because we see death as the end, as a defeat. This life is only the antechamber to eternity. Death is only the beginning of another life. Without this awareness, we will dodge everything that seems complicated to us here on earth. No, there are things that are difficult for you on earth, but which will obtain for you a crown of glory. Stephen was stoned, but it was not a failure. He died in glory.
Consider Rebekah. It was her faithfulness in service that brought her to meet Abraham's servant and gained his favor. It was not through forty days of fasting that she obtained her husband, but through humility and service. While she served, God acted on her behalf.
Consider David. He was faithful alone in tending the sheep. And in that time of faithfulness, he gained knowledge. He developed his relationship with God in the dark. And he qualified to confront and defeat the giant and become famous in Israel.
The apostle Paul is another to consider. He stated that through God's help, he has continued to this day. It is given to all of us to continue and never lose ground, capitulate, or give up.
Consider Joseph. He had a keen awareness of the value of fidelity. He was able to reject Potiphar's wife because he wanted to remain faithful to God. And thrown into prison despite his innocence, he remained faithful to serve. Imagine that Joseph had said in prison, "I no longer interpret dreams, I resign." He would have closed his destiny with this refusal, because it was this gift that God intended to use to free and elevate him. He did not become Prime Minister of Egypt just because God loved him, but because he served.
How many people have been delayed in their destiny, people called by God, loved by God, cherished by God, because they were not faithful?
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