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FAITHFULNESS IS GOOD.
"He's nothin' but a quitter."
"You'd better watch yourself; she'll think nothing about stabbing you in the back."
"He'd betray his own mother for a few bucks."
Ever heard these kinds of statements? Maybe not in real life, but maybe you've read them in books or heard them on television. Would you want to be the kind of person those statements describe? You wouldn't, would you? But think about it-why not? What is it about those statements that makes you not want someone to think such things about you?
Nobody wants to be known as a quitter or a backstabber. Nobody wants a reputation as someone who would betray his own mother. But why not? Because you seem to know, almost instinctively, that unfaithfulness disloyalty, betrayal, unreliability is a bad thing.
How much better it would be to have people say of you:
"He's a stand-up kind of guy."
"If she said she'll be here, she'll be here."
"You can count on him."
"She's never let me down before."
That's the kind of reputation you want, right? Why? Because you know that faithfulness is a good thing. And it's universally recognized as a good thing, even by people who claim that there's no such thing as right and wrong. Even those people don't want friends who will betray them or let them down.
That's because faithfulness is a godly virtue. Faithfulness is good, and unfaithfulness is evil. Faithfulness is right, and unfaithfulness is wrong. But, then, you knew that already, didn't you?
REFLECT: Today's Bible reading describes two people as faithful. Who were they? Does the reading speak about faithfulness as a good thing or a bad thing?
In the reading above, which set of statements comes closest to describing you? If a friend or family member were asked to rate your faithfulness, how do you think that person would score you: excellent, good, fair, or poor? Why?
ACT: Be alert and Listen this week for statements people make around you that indicate a person's faithfulness or unfaithfulness (such as, "He never showed up" or "She's a true friend").
PRAY: Ask God to help you live so that the following description is true of you: "Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing" (3 John 5, NIV).
"He's nothin' but a quitter."
"You'd better watch yourself; she'll think nothing about stabbing you in the back."
"He'd betray his own mother for a few bucks."
Ever heard these kinds of statements? Maybe not in real life, but maybe you've read them in books or heard them on television. Would you want to be the kind of person those statements describe? You wouldn't, would you? But think about it-why not? What is it about those statements that makes you not want someone to think such things about you?
Nobody wants to be known as a quitter or a backstabber. Nobody wants a reputation as someone who would betray his own mother. But why not? Because you seem to know, almost instinctively, that unfaithfulness disloyalty, betrayal, unreliability is a bad thing.
How much better it would be to have people say of you:
"He's a stand-up kind of guy."
"If she said she'll be here, she'll be here."
"You can count on him."
"She's never let me down before."
That's the kind of reputation you want, right? Why? Because you know that faithfulness is a good thing. And it's universally recognized as a good thing, even by people who claim that there's no such thing as right and wrong. Even those people don't want friends who will betray them or let them down.
That's because faithfulness is a godly virtue. Faithfulness is good, and unfaithfulness is evil. Faithfulness is right, and unfaithfulness is wrong. But, then, you knew that already, didn't you?
REFLECT: Today's Bible reading describes two people as faithful. Who were they? Does the reading speak about faithfulness as a good thing or a bad thing?
In the reading above, which set of statements comes closest to describing you? If a friend or family member were asked to rate your faithfulness, how do you think that person would score you: excellent, good, fair, or poor? Why?
ACT: Be alert and Listen this week for statements people make around you that indicate a person's faithfulness or unfaithfulness (such as, "He never showed up" or "She's a true friend").
PRAY: Ask God to help you live so that the following description is true of you: "Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing" (3 John 5, NIV).
Scripture
About this Plan
Written for teenagers to use in their daily quiet time readings, this plan will make them laugh or cry. Some are fiction, some are stranger than fiction, but each will help you discover how to make right choices in the everyday ups and downs of life. Josh McDowell's Youth Devotions is a daily adventure in making right choices.
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© 2011 Josh McDowell Ministry. All rights reserved. No part of these Materials may be changed in any way or reproduced in any form without written permission from Josh McDowell Ministry, 2001 W Plano Pkwy, Ste. 2400, Plano, TX 75075. www.josh.org. +1 972 907 1000. Used by Permission.
