What Does It Mean to Be Faithful?

Being faithful to God means that there will be some evidence of our faith in God. A faithful Christian will produce fruit.

Faithfulness does not mean that we will be perfect. It does not mean that we won’t struggle or that we won’t make poor decisions. It does mean that we will continue to trust in God and try to follow His commandments even when life is difficult.

In the parable of the talents in Luke 16:10, Jesus says: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

God knows our capabilities. He knows that we’re not all given the same talents and opportunities. He doesn’t expect the same results from all of us. But He does want us to do something good with the talents and resources that we are given.

Being faithful is not limited to our relationship with God. We must also strive to be faithful in our relationships with other people.

Probably the most common form of faithfulness that comes to mind is in our marriage relationships. The Bible tells us that spouses should be faithful to one another. Part of faithfulness is avoiding adultery, but it’s more than that. Husbands and wives are meant to encourage one another in God, actively loving each other, and patiently caring for each other’s needs (Ephesians 5:25).

Another way we can show faithfulness is in our friendships. The Bible deeply values friendships and there are many instances of loyalty between friends (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 and Proverbs 27:9-10).

Being faithful in friendship means offering godly counsel, carrying each other’s burdens, and remaining loyal through hardships.

The good news is we don’t have to produce this faithfulness alone! God promises to give us strength when we need it! (See Isaiah 40:29-31.)

If you’re feeling faint, if you’re feeling tired, if you’re feeling weary, know that God is there to help. God’s faithfulness to us gives us the strength to be faithful people.

—Love Worth Finding, condensed