Monday, January 4, 2016

I will be Faithful

I remember my grandfather telling me that a man's word and a handshake was like gold.  You could trust that what a man said he was going to do.  And as I was growing up I was taught that Jesus is a man of His Word.  He does what he says he is going to do.  As a matter of fact, I base my whole existence and future of the fact that God is a person of His Word. Think about it.  All our hopes and dreams rest in the fact that God is and will be faithful to us.

As Christ-followers, aren't we supposed to emulate Jesus?  If Jesus is a faithful person and does what he says he will do, shouldn't we as Christians practice the same thing?  All throughout the Bible we are told to be people that can be trusted.  Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, "It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay."  We read again in Proverbs 22:1, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold."

If anyone should be trusted with the things they say on this planet it should be the Christ-followers.  So, I have a challenge for you this year.  It is going to sound simple, and you have probably heard it before.

Become a man or woman of your word in 2016.  Be faithful with what you say.  If you say your going to be somewhere be early.  If you say you are going to serve in a ministry do it as unto the Lord. If you say you believe the Bible then do what it tells you to do.  Be faithful!!  That's it.  Be faithful.

Here are some tools and guards that will help you be faithful:

  1. Don't over commit.  Think before you speak.  Even delay the response if necessary to make sure you can do what you say you are going to do. 
  2. Take responsibility for your own life. (that is a whole different blog coming soon).
  3. Get a calendar.  Write it down.  If you don't write it down you will forget it.  Forgetting is a horrible excuse.  It shows lack of discipline.  
  4. Only use one calendar.  Choose one and stick with it. More than one leads to confusion and error. (I learned this one the hard way). 
  5. Do what you say you are going to do even if it costs you.  If you have to stay up late or get up early, do whatever it takes to be faithful.
When we are faithful people we are a better example of Christ.  If people can't trust what you say, how can you share the gospel effectively.

Check out Reliant Ministries