Financial Fruit of the SpiritSample

Word #7: Faithfulness

Faithful people seem hard to find, according to King Solomon.

“Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6)

So, faithfulness amongst people is scarce, but not so with God.

We talk a lot about trusting God, but I think the harder, reflective question is: can God trust me?

After telling a story (Luke 16:1-9) about a steward who was almost fired after being accused of wasting his master’s possessions, Jesus gave His followers three areas in which they were to be financially faithful. He gave three lessons in financial faithfulness in the following verses 10-12.

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?”

1. Faithfulness in little things is the supreme standard to which a good steward should adhere to. It is a prerequisite to be trusted with much! Dishonesty in what we may consider small things, like cheating on expenses or taxes, has consequences in the extent to which God can trust us.

2. Faithfulness in ‘unrighteous wealth’ is a prerequisite for what Jesus called ‘true riches.’ Money is not just paper or coin, but is subject to a power which Jesus unmasked and called ‘mammon.’ This power is in itself ‘unrighteous’ and will compete for our devotion. If we are faithful in using our money God’s way, then Jesus says He can trust us with ‘true riches.’

3. We are to be faithful in ‘that which is another’s.’ The Bible teaches clearly that all belongs to God – we do not own anything. We are raised to think that we are the owners of everything we have worked and earned for. In fact, we own nothing, we only have it to manage and utilise. Ownership means that we have access to use.

Realising that God owns everything, we can have access to all God has to give, if only we can be faithful in using what He has already trusted us with, be it much or little.