Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

"Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one]." 2 Thessalonians 3: 3

There is so much going on in the world today that it is almost overwhelming to watch television or read the newspaper. There is disease, natural catastrophes, wars, and so on. After September 11, I was a nervous wreck! My husband was living in one state and I was in another. I would have an anxiety attack if I saw the newspaper, much less read it! I was driven by fear in my life! It was literally controlling me from day to day. I have since grown in my walk with the Lord and have received what his word says to me. I am challenged everyday by something. Satan is on the prowl and as John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." That verse alone gives me so much peace and hope. Satan will come in and try to attack our family, friends, jobs, anything he can get his hands on. But we MUST remain faithful and remember who has all control! When I feel attacks coming on, I repeat the verse "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7. I have faith in that scripture! I have faith in God!

We must have the faith of a mustard seed, but so many times we want to try to figure things out ourselves or we will even waiver. When we do this, God can't complete his work in a thing. We have to be completely faithful regardless of what the odds are. I know that God can do anything that he wants. And when we have faith in a thing and God does deliver, we have to share it! Don't sit on it and keep it to yourself. Go out and tell others about his GOODNESS! When you do that, they are going to try and figure out how they can experience that same goodness!

When we have faith God strengthens us and guards us. How do we get faith? Prayer, studying God words, and allow him to dwell within you. That comes from loving ourselves and others, having joy and peace, being kind and good...you get the idea. We have to trust God and lean and depend on his word. He is able. He just wants us to give him the opportunity to show us how. Now one problem we do have is we want to have faith, but not play apart in it. James 2:20 says, "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" We can't have faith in God for us to get a job, but you haven't filled out one application or made one phone call. We have to work at it to show God that we do believe.

I will leave you with this (it leaves me with chills and a huge smile on my face), "It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.Lamentations 3: 22-23