Faithful. Pastor Steve this past week asked each of us to come up with one word to describe our legacy of the time we spent in this world--an epitaph of sorts. What one word will people use to describe you when you are gone? He suggested that the one that he wanted on his tombstone was FAITHFUL.
When I think about that one word, many different thoughts flood my mind. We often use it as an adjective to describe a noun: faithful spouse, faithful parent, faithful friend, faithful daughter, faithful church member, faithful dog. What do we really mean when we call someone "faithful"? Sure there is the obvious meaning, which is to be steady, strict or thorough in the performance of duty; to be steady in allegiance, affection, loyal and constant; to be reliable and trusted. What does being faithful really mean if we were to go beyond the mere surface meaning? I think it goes much deeper and it pervades our lives in ways we may not even have words to express.
A question that I’ve been pondering this week, which ties into the word faithful, has been: Are you really walking the walk, Carol? Are you faithful in all your actions, thoughts, and resources? Would people call you faithful? Yikes! I wish I could say loudly – YES. Sadly, I came up a bit short when I examined my actions, thoughts and the use of my resources over the past week. Perhaps faithfulness is a journey--one that ebbs and flows, one that spillsover and invades us at different times and touches us in varied places throughout our lives. Being faithful is a calling, of sorts--perhaps even an action more than a description of someone.
As a church, are we faithful? As disciples of Christ, are we each faithful to that calling? Over the past week during one of my hospital calls, I visited a Calvary member that has been in and out of the hospital over the past few months. This person told me about the wonderful opportunity God gave to him to witness to a nurse the other night in the hospital. He talked about the fact that even in the hospital the Lord was using him. To me, that is someone who is being faithful! No matter the circumstances, no matter the place, no matter the pain he was in, this faithful disciple of Christ looked beyond his own suffering and was able to share his faith with a nurse who needed some encouragement in her faith.
Here’s a great song called “I Call You Faithful.” God is always faithful to His promise to us. No matter what our tombstones may say, God is always faithful to those who believe in Him. Praise be to God!
In His Grip!
Pastor Carol
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