Faithful

The title of this post may appear contradictory, seeing that my last post was in August...talk about being faithful with blogging...ah hem.

Ah, this past semester.  Definitely a trial in my life--hard classes, balancing home life and school work, adjusting to being back home from an absolutely fantastic summer with Worldview Academy, finding joy in all circumstances...I could go on.

But in the middle of studying like crazy, some grades that didn't reflect the information that I knew, exhaustion, and at times wanting to throw up my hands and give up nursing altogether, God was there.  He was faithful.  Through sometimes sporadic times in the Word, He was faithful.  When I felt like quitting, He was faithful.  During late nights of studying, He was faithful.  He IS faithful.

Oh it's good to relish His faithfulness! I am so thankful that He never gives up on me and that He is constantly there leading and guiding me.  But, I am also called to be faithful. 

Colossians 3:23-24 says:
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ."

I am serving the Lord Christ!  What a privilege and high calling! I want to be faithful in that. 

I don't want to be like the servant in Matthew 25 who hid his talent in the ground and was not faithful to invest it for his master's kingdom.  I want to invest my talents in the Lord's ministry, whether that be at school, home, or church.

I want to be like the 10 virgins (in Matthew 25 as well) who faithfully tended to their lamps so they would be ready when the bridegroom arrived.  I want to be faithful in preparing myself daily to step out into a world that needs Christ.  I will not be prepared to advance the Lord's kingdom if I have not met with Him and learned more about His character that morning.

The Christian life is a call to be faithful.  I have found that this is not easy!!!  Not. At. All.  It's hard to be faithful, especially when life is so busy!  But that's the whole beauty of faithfulness--it's not easy. It takes hard work to be faithful.  That's what makes it so rewarding.  And that's what makes God's faithfulness so precious--He perseveres with me and never gives up on me.

I love what Jesus says to the church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:10--"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life."

'Unto death,' folks! That's a long time!  Faithfulness isn't something that sprouts up overnight--it's cultivated daily, slowly, step-by-step. 

This could be wearying...until one reads the last part of that verse.  We will receive a crown of life!  That is the ultimate goal.  To hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and to receive a crown of life, only to cast it back again in thankfulness and amazement.  I will remember this when I'm feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. There is an end goal, and in that goal is motivation--motivation to be faithful.

Going into my hardest semester of school yet with this perspective will help me on those hard days.

"Well done, good and faithful servant!" I just want to give up and drop out of school, but that would not be faithful with what You have given me to do now, would it, God.  "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Grr I'm complaining again.  God, please help me be faithfully joyful!  "Well done, good and faithful servant!" I cannot think of one place that I will use this information, but I want to be faithful to diligently study and learn it because that's what God's placed in front of me.

It will also give me motivation on the good days!

"Well done, good and faithful servant!" Thank you, God, for helping me to balance school and home life well today. "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Thank you for helping me see how I could serve this person.  "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Thank you for a wonderful time in Your Word this morning!

I want to hear those 6 words spoken from Jesus Himself.

What about you--at the end of your life, are you going to hear those 6 words? Will you run this race with perseverance? Will you be faithful?