“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS…”
This April marks two and a half years since I moved to Surrey. Which is not that significant, on its own, but two and a half years is the amount of time I lived and worked in London. So as of now, I’m officially more Surrey than I am Londoner.
I have spent the majority of my adult life in a state of limbo; with eleven different addresses, numerous temporary and fixed-term contracts, and even a spell overseas in Rwanda. I have jumped around – the country and the world - and in the process I have discovered a very simple truth: that God is faithful.
Faithfulness, or the quality of being faithful, can otherwise be defined as: loyalty, constant, devoted, committed, dedicated, or, as The Message translation defines it right here in Galatians 5:
“We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments…”
And I have numerous stories of God’s faithfulness over my limbo-life: the answers to prayer when I found the job I needed; when the right house appeared at exactly the right time; when I received money in an unexpected place to cover my daily needs.
Over and over again, I’ve experienced God’s faithfulness. Yet, I’ve never really taken it seriously as something I should be, too. In fact, faithfulness feels to me as one of the ‘lesser known’ fruits; the one we slide past in the list. And so often I see God being faithful, but I don’t really see me as faithful. Or faith-full.
It’s not exactly a top-of-the-list trait to be faithful; we move jobs more, move address more, and we are the generation who refuse to click "going" on Facebook invitations in case something better comes along.
And so I’m finding myself in Surrey; in the same job, in the same house, in the same situation that I was two and a half years ago, and the obvious question that springs to mind is: “what’s next?” Because why shouldn’t it be? A desire to press forward to the next good thing; an eagerness to develop and to grow some more.
But, then, that powerful little sentence: “We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments….” stops me in my tracks and I realise receiving the fruit of faithfulness doesn’t simply mean I see God’s faithfulness more; that’s always going to be a given. It means that I actually become more faithful too.
Faithful to God. Faithful to my friendships. Faithful to the place God has put me, right now.
Of course, we are sometimes called to move jobs; homes; cities – I’ve been there - and the gift of faithfulness helps us to press forward into those callings at the correct time, honouring God as we do. The best thing the fruit of faithfulness can provide as Christians is a deeper loyalty to Jesus.
However, I’m finding myself in a place where the world is telling me to move on, but faithfulness is telling me to pause that bit longer. To be loyal to my calling here; to ignore the world’s advice for bigger, and better, and to settle for where I am.
And, honestly, this is a tough commitment at times. But the best thing about practicing faithfulness is being received, with loving arms, by a faithful God who does not let go when things are hard.
The fruit of faithfulness looks different for each of us. We are challenged to be faithful to situations, people, places and so many more things. All of these, though, are rooted – in faith – by a faithful God. And God shows us the perfect example of how to be faithful by never, ever running away or letting us down.
So as I come to terms with my new-found Surrey (but also Northern Irish) identity, I’m really asking the Spirit to provide some more of that faithfulness fruit. And reaping the benefits.
The fruit of faithfulness provides strength to persevere.
Of course, we are sometimes called to move jobs; homes; cities – I’ve been there - and the gift of faithfulness helps us to press forward into those callings at the correct time, honouring God as we do. The best thing the fruit of faithfulness can provide as Christians is a deeper loyalty to Jesus.
However, I’m finding myself in a place where the world is telling me to move on, but faithfulness is telling me to pause that bit longer. To be loyal to my calling here; to ignore the world’s advice for bigger, and better, and to settle for where I am.
And, honestly, this is a tough commitment at times. But the best thing about practicing faithfulness is being received, with loving arms, by a faithful God who does not let go when things are hard.
The fruit of faithfulness looks different for each of us. We are challenged to be faithful to situations, people, places and so many more things. All of these, though, are rooted – in faith – by a faithful God. And God shows us the perfect example of how to be faithful by never, ever running away or letting us down.
So as I come to terms with my new-found Surrey (but also Northern Irish) identity, I’m really asking the Spirit to provide some more of that faithfulness fruit. And reaping the benefits.
The fruit of faithfulness provides strength to persevere.
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