Faithfulness stands out in this world, where promises and relationships are too often broken. If we dare to show up – reliably, day after day – to do what God calls us to do, we’ll open doors for wonder to come into our lives. “A faithful person will be richly blessed”, as Proverbs 28:20 assures us.
My childhood was full of stressful changes after my parents divorced when I was 7 years old. One of those changes involved moving from Virginia to South Carolina after my mother remarried. I struggled with shyness, so being a new kid in school was especially challenging for me. Thankfully, some of my fellow students reached out to me with God’s love. A girl named Yolanda even invited me to church with her family. There, I learned that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and we can rely on his faithfulness to us in our changing circumstances. Although I lost touch with Yolanda after we moved back to Virginia, I’ll always be grateful for her faithful friendship when we were in school together – and especially for how Yolanda pointed me toward our faithful God.
When you reflect on your own childhood, who showed up faithfully for you? Let your gratitude for that person inspire you to choose faithfulness in your life now. The more you commit to being there for others God leads you to love, the more fulfillment and wonder you can enjoy. In Wake Up to Wonder, I explain research studies that show powerful connections between faithfulness and awe: faithfulness increases life satisfaction, which helps us experience awe, and experiencing awe can also boost life satisfaction, motivating us to be faithful.
We all can become more faithful with God’s help, since faithfulness is one of the “fruit of the Spirit” the Bible describes. Here’s how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to become more faithful, and discover wonder in the process:
Commit to be there for people in your life who need you – not just in happy times, but in tough times, too. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you uphold your commitments daily.
Forgive others. The process won’t be easy, but you can do it with God’s help, and he expects you to do so. When problems occur in any of your relationships, don’t just end them and search for new relationships. Instead, be willing to forgive and reconcile.
Do your best to keep your commitments and fulfill your responsibilities even when it’s not convenient for you. Ask God to help you do so. Let love motivate you to follow through. When considering making any new commitments, choose only what’s best and don’t hesitate to say “no” gracefully when you need to do so.
Consider the talents God has given you, and ask him how he would like you to invest them to best support his work on earth. Make a plan for putting your talents to use fully. Aim to be faithful rather than successful by the world’s standards. Base your priorities on what God has called you to do.
Don’t let crises derail you. Whenever a crisis occurs, remember God’s faithfulness, and rely on him to give you the strength to move forward with the work he has called you to do. Make a conscious effort to stand strong on your convictions, despite pressure to compromise.
Care for your soul well. Don’t let your caretaking responsibilities for others burn you out. Spend time with God regularly through prayer and meditation to strengthen your soul with fresh doses of God’s love and wisdom. The closer you stay connected to God, the more you’ll be able to perceive the wonder of his work in your life – and the better equipped you’ll be to serve others.
How will you pursue faithfulness today?
Learn more about experiencing God’s wonder in Wake Up to Wonder (order the paperback or the e-book) and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year (order the paperback or the e-book).