Hey, friends! I’m not gonna lie. It’s been a hectic few weeks (few months? years?) and I’ve been struggling emotionally and mentally. I’m a real person, with real emotions, and real stress. Life is hard. But you know what I know to be true? God‘s love for you and me. God was here before everything was created and will be here long after everything is back to dust. God is everlasting, all knowing, and faithful to His children. The least we can do is remain faithful to Him in return.
Today, I’d like to share with you five ways to cultivate faithfulness in your life by using the word faith as an acronym.
F in FAITH is for “Friend of God”
We can start cultivating faithfulness with God by befriending Him. As a friend of God, my actions and my faith work hand in hand to deepen my relationship with Him. James 2:21-24 (NLT) talks about how Abraham was called a “friend of God” after “his faith and his actions worked together” “when he offered his son Isaac on the alter.” Now, I’m not saying we need to sacrifice our children or anything else of such magnitude to be a friend of God. But what I am saying is that Abraham believed God’s promises to him and was ready and willing to do whatever God asked to bring glory to Him. What does this look like in the year 2024? Obeying God’s call on your life. Beginning each day with Him in prayer and gratitude – asking Holy Spirit to lead the way throughout the day. Love God and love one another. “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 NLT)
“Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.” -James 2:21-24 NLT
The A in FAITH is for “Affirm Your Faith in God”
One of my favorite ways to cultivate my faithfulness for God is by affirming my faith regularly. I do this when I memorize scripture and use it to encourage myself and others. I affirm my faith by using scripture as prayers and affirmations. I affirm my faith by not hiding it from others, but by openly sharing my beliefs and values with others, including my spouse, my kids, my coworkers, my friends, and with anyone else I feel safe or courageous enough to share.
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“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” -Hebrews 13:15-16 NLT
The I in FAITH is for Integrity
One of the definitions of integrity is “steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.” Integrity is a character trait that all should strive for in every aspect of their lives. Those who live lives with integrity are honest, just, respectable, and virtuous. As sinners in this fallen world, we all can stumble on this one. However, in order to cultivate faithfulness with God, we must undertake this challenge to live with integrity with every decision we make. I like how 2 Corinthians 6:6-8 (NLT) talks about how me serve God regardless of how people treat us. “We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors.” – 2 Corinthians 6:6-8 NLT
The T in FAITH stands for “Trust the Process”
The story of Moses in the Old Testament is one of my favorites in the Bible. Moses should have been killed upon birth, but his birth mother and midwife hid him for several months until they sent him down the Nile River in a basket. He was found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. He was raised as Egyptian royalty. And yet, he willingly stepped outside of the comfort of the palace to live with his own people. God called him out of Egypt to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. Despite Moses’ questioning, Moses obeyed God, held firm in his faith, and did as the Lord commanded. “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons. It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.” -Hebrews 11:27-29 NLT Moses was faithful to the Lord and He used Moses to further His will for the Israelite people. Just as Moses trusted God and the process God had laid out before him, we, too, need to trust God’s process to cultivate faithfulness in our lives.
H in FAITH stands for “Honor God in All You Do”
When we decide to honor God in all that we do, we are faithful to live a life pleasing to God. When we obey God’s guidance and call for our lives, we are faithful to Him. When we push through our fear and discouragement and keep choosing a path honorable to God, we continually prove our faithfulness to Him. Romans 14:8 NLT says, “If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” You are a child of God. He has prepared you in advance to do good works. Honor Him with your faithfulness to do all the Holy Spirit is guiding you to do.
Friends, we are not perfect. No one but Jesus was perfect. We live in this fallen world for the good of others and the glory of God. Cultivating a life of faithfulness to God will have its ups and downs, but as long as you believe in Him and trust in Him, He will work all things for your good.
What other ways do you cultivate your faithfulness to God?
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” -Colossians 3:12-17 NLT
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