Faithfulness is a concept that is all but lost in postmodern America. To help clarify this abstract idea we can use other words to define it such as devotion or loyalty.
Yet, sadly enough, these will often draw a blank to those in high school or college – Academia doesn’t teach character anymore.
Where people change jobs at least 5 times during their lives, half of marriages end in divorce, and people mock symbols that have made America great for centuries, faithfulness is hard to find.
Think about where/how you may have seen this happening.
We as a people are no longer loyal or devoted to our employers, country, family, spouse, or even ourselves as is exemplified by the destructive and unhealthy habits we undertake.
Look back a few generations to see a people who were more faithful.
Everyone can Google pictures of men and women building bombers during World War II. It is easy find stories of men who sacrificed themselves on the battlefield for others.
This generation called “The Greatest Generation” was much more loyal than anyone today.
They held high the ideals of this great country, for the most part worked at the same company all of their lives, rarely got divorced and as a group built and maintained the church.
Today, if we are not personally benefited, we will have nothing to do with it. We as men bash our employers to our friends and leave our spouses when the relationship is no longer “new.”
We fulfill our desires, yet do not stay around to raise the children.
We only support our country if it will give us something back; not because it is a light of freedom in the world.
And finally, we just don’t go to church because God might cramp our style by showing us what a “real man” should be.
Because Jesus is God, He is the perfect example of what a “real man” should look like and can help to illustrate this concept of faithfulness.
1 John 1:9 states, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”
Jesus walked this earth for 33 years and saw the depravity of man. He was beaten, tortured and finally killed on a cruel cross because of our sin and lack of faithfulness to God. Yet, because of all of this, He remains devoted to us.
He is currently in heaven interceding on our behalf, and yet we spend very little if any time with Him. If Jesus were to follow our “manly” example, he would have deserted us to our sin millennia ago.
What if the preceding verse said that Jesus was “not faithful and just” or was only “partially faithful and just”? Where would we be? What if He removed from us His devotion? How would we know God, His peace, joy and forgiveness?
The simple answer: We would have no way out of our sin and death would lead to hell, apart from God and all comfort and peace.
I am personally glad that Jesus is faithful, devoted, and loyal to me. I praise His name each day because of His unwavering faithfulness to a guy who makes a lot of mistakes.
Next time you just want to leave a situation because it is difficult, remember Jesus’ example of faithfulness. Ask yourself if He would make the same decision you are about to make.
James and Cindi Runyon 