Faithfulness to God always
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (NIV) 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Bible reading: Acts 4:19-20; 23
We live in a perilous world now. Paul cautioned Timothy about the last days and the need for all Christians to remain faithful to God regardless of the perils of this contemporary world. We must remain faithful to God because he is faithful to us; He is not leaving us weary. Hebrews 10:23 tells us to “Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful”.
Our faithfulness to God must not only be about what we stay out of, but also what we must do. When Peter and John were brought before the high priest, and elders, (Acts 4:19-20;23) they made profound statements about their faithfulness to God. That also gives some practical steps to follow in order to be faithful to God.
1. They were in the sight of God (Acts 4:19) – in all situations, acknowledge you are in the sight of God. That way, you will be mindful of what you say or do.
2. They reasoned with their detractors (Acts 4:19) – do not let your detractors convince you. Challenge them with your faith in a respectful manner.
3. They declared what they do, that is, speaking the things they have seen and heard (Acts 4:20) – make clear what you stand for based on God’s word.
4. They joined their companions and reported to them (Acts 4:23) – share your story to faithful Christians who can encourage you.
Beloved, sometimes the detractors are not other people, they are ourselves, our desires and motives. In such instances, talk to yourself and pray for strength to stand for the right thing.
It is very important you find faithful friends in the Lord with whom you can share daily happenings that affect your faithfulness. Such people can give you the needed advice and encouragement to stand for the truth and the right things all the time. Without such encouragement from fellow faithful Christians, Satan may have his way one day. In fact, Paul admonishes us to exhort one another so that no one is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-13). This is why we should always try to be present at church meetings so that we can stir up love and good works among ourselves (Hebrews 10:24-25).