Fruit of the Spirit – Day 21

All good relationships are built on the foundation of faithfulness. A good marriage is largely dependent on the faithfulness of the wife and the husband. A good friendship is one between true and faithful friends. Good working relationships occur when colleagues can be trusted. Faithfulness is also the key to our relationship with God.

We often speak about God’s faithfulness. When we see a rainbow, we are reminded that he is faithful and he keeps his promises. But what about our own faithfulness? Aside from today’s verse in Revelation, there are many passages that challenge us to be faithful: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 challenges us to be faithful in stewardship, Ephesians 6:21 talks about being faithful in service and 1 Timothy 5:9 speaks of being faithful in our marriages.

Faithfulness, continuing to trust in God, is often seen as something that comes from ourselves. Many people see faithfulness as a synonym for determination, an attitude that they cultivate rather than as a product of God’s Spirit within us. Paul makes it clear that faithfulness is a gift from the Holy Spirit, when we come to repentance. Upon receiving the Holy Spirit, God the Father and Jesus Christ come to dwell within us, changing our character from the inside and instilling faithfulness in us.

It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can have sort of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness and goodness that we ought to have as Christians. Likewise, it is only through the Holy Spirit that we can have the sort of faithfulness that leads us to trust God totally, to obey him and to return to him always in repentance, when we fall short.