Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

Faithfulness is faith in action, the act of believing and trusting. One can claim to have faith, but it is the outward expression—faithfulness—that allows others to engage with your proclaimed beliefs.

For Christians, faithfulness doesn’t start with me or you. It starts with God and God’s faithfulness.

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

God’s faithfulness isn’t about making any individual’s life perfect, nor is it about making sure everyone gets to heaven. God’s faithfulness is simply who God is, and that faithfulness is expressed for the whole of creation—the earth, the animals, and the people. God created it all and looked at it all and called it all very good.

Like God, we are to be consistent in faithfulness.

But why does Christian faithfulness matter? It matters because as Christians, we believe God’s faithfulness and love for the world is Good News for everyone. The way Christians should live, the way we show up in our neighborhoods and not just our places of worship, should reflect that goodness for everyone, even when we disagree.

And yet the fruit of the Spirit cannot be hidden in the privacy of our lives. Our faithfulness, like all aspects of the Spirit-filled life, is meant to have a noticeable impact on the lives and world around us.

Faithfulness supports the Spirit’s work, transforming our reactions and relationships with love and patience and kindness. Our love isn’t fickle—it’s faithful, even when we aren’t “in love.” Our patience isn’t dependent on the circumstance—it’s faithful, even when we are worn thin and at our limit. Our kindness doesn’t play favorites—it’s faithful, freely given even to the people with whom we have the deepest of disagreements.

We believe in a faithful God, so we show up. Faithfully.

Questions for Reflection

Where is your behavior falling behind your beliefs? Consider the possible underlying causes of any unfaithfulness you detect within yourself—what’s really going on here? Seek God for the grace to be fundamentally faithful.