FAITHFULNESS

In I Corinthians 4:2 our Lord teaches us that “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” The Word does not say we are required to be successful, glamorous, popular, handsome, beautiful, appealing, imposing in personality, well-liked or well-known; it says that we are required to be faithful. A lot of us could never reach the requirements if they were the aforementioned things, but we can all be faithful!



A shepherd once came to the city of Edinburgh from the country. He had his small obedient dog with him. While there, the man died and was buried. That little dog lay upon its master’s grave – not for a day, a week or even a month, but for 12 years. Every day at one o’clock a gun was fired in the castle of Edinburgh. When the shot was heard the dog would run to the local baker who gave it food and water. Then back to the grave it would go. This continued until the dog died and that was 12 years later. That was faithfulness!



The owner threw a goose which had been run over and crushed by a car into an oil drum. For 7 years the gander, that goose’s mate, never went more than 10 feet away from that oil drum. Yes, that gander kept watch by the drum until it died 7 years later. That was faithfulness!



A Welsh postman had the British Empire Medal conferred upon him by Queen Elizabeth; he had not missed a day’s service in 43 years. A Minneapolis man retired as a high school teacher without having missed a single day on the job for 43 years. Paul Ehrlick, the chemist, performed 605 unsuccessful experiments; the 606th was a success! Thomas Edison executed 18,000 experiments before he perfected the arc light. At another time, after 50 failures on a project he said, “I have found the 50th way it cannot be done!” That was faithfulness!



During the Korean War a man buried himself in the muck and mud of a pig sty (except for his nose and mouth so he could breathe) for 8 days and nights rather than betray his buddies and surrender to the enemy. That was faithfulness!



George Muller prayed for 52 years for a certain man to come to Christ. A certain pastor visited an elderly man 21 times before being admitted, but then he befriended the man and led him to Christ. That was faithfulness!



Are you not glad that Jesus was faithful in dying for us and that He now lives and is faithful to care for us? God grant us grace to be faithful!



DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF FAITHFUL?


1. Is a car that starts once out of seven time “faithful”?

2. Is a refrigerator that quits for a day now and then “faithful”?

3. Is your paper boy “faithful” if he misses you with your paper every few days?

4. If you fail to come to work two or three days each week, would you be “faithful” to your job?

5. If your hot water greeted you with cold water one or two mornings each week, would you consider it “faithful” and “dependable”?

6. NOW, if you fail to come to Sunday Morning Worship and Thursday Evening Meeting once or twice or three times each month, are you “faithful”?