His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.”
(Matthew 25:21)He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.
(Luke 16:10)
St. Paul gives us a basic spiritual principle that guides the life of the disciple: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1).
We Christians do not just follow of an impressive moral code so that we can build an excellent character for ourselves.
We have been given the gift of God’s own Spirit, and “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
As the saying goes, like father, like son.
We have become sharers of God’s life.
We are called, and have been given the grace, to resemble our heavenly Father.
A simple definition of the faithful person is this: someone who keeps his promises.
God has made extravagant promises to us, and he always keeps them.
The Psalms are filled with expressions of God’s faithfulness.
“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalms 100:5).
As imitators of our faithful God, we are called to be men of faithfulness.
What does that look like in practical terms?
The faithful man is loyal to God.
He keeps his baptismal promises.
He has sworn fealty to the Lord of the Universe, and he would rather suffer harm than to break faith with so good a Master.
He believes in God’s promises and does not listen to the lies of the Enemy.
He honors God in worship, and he stands with Christ whether in honor or in dishonor.
The faithful man is loyal to Christ’s body, the Church.
He refuses to view the Church as a merely human organization and recognizes it as the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth.
He is ready to call his brothers, even in leadership positions, to greater faithfulness.
At the same time, he avoids the small-minded gossip and criticism that serves no good purpose.
He rejoices at the victories of Christ’s people, and he mourns over their sins and defeats.
He does not make a separate peace with the world.
The faithful man is loyal to his wife.
He remembers the promises he has made to her before God, and he will not do her the injustice of unfaithfulness.
He stands with her in her own battles for holiness, and aids her as she attempts to become all the Lord has made her to be.
The faithful man is loyal to his children.
He has made promises to them by the act of bringing them into the world, and he will strive to provide for them, protect them, and teach them the Lord’s way of faithfulness.
The faithful man is loyal to his work.
He will be an honest worker, and will attempt to give his best, knowing that he is first of all serving the Lord.
The faithful man is a man of his word.
He will avoid falsehood like poison, even in matters of little importance.
He will walk with integrity, and will be quick to recognize his own failings and make restitution for them, even if it involves humiliation.
God is faithful, brothers.
Learn the quality of faithfulness from the Holy Spirit so that you will one day hear the Lord say: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Today in prayer, consider the past faithfulness of God and determine to place all your hope and your future into his faithful hands.
