Make one mistake and it can ‘dog’ you the rest of your life. Look no further than doubting Thomas who, only one time we know of, doubted Jesus rose from the dead and that label still follows him. Who knows, Thomas may have been the most faithful of all Jesus’ disciples. He too was a martyr of Christ. Many historians believe He was decapitated for his faith in India. But this is what one mistake can do to a person, and why we need to receive God’s forgiveness and also forgive ourselves. Otherwise, we will think of ourselves as failures, incapable of being faithful. Thomas’ life teaches us that no matter what, we can:
ALWAYS COUNT ON GOD…
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” II Timothy 2:13
God is immutable, which means He does not vary, waver, or second guess Himself. If He says it, He does it. His faithfulness is the union of His word and His actions. He is the only true promise keeper. Because of this we can always trust God and never doubt Him again. The security and peace this brings is immeasurable. Worries, fears and doubt will be replaced with assurance, power and faith. As these qualities grow, our fear of failure will no longer be an issue and we will gain more courage to step out in faith. God’s faithfulness is the seed the Spirit plants in us - His faithfulness increases our faith.
…SO WE CAN BE COUNTED ON.
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” I Corinthians 4:2
Being faithful applies to more than marriage. It is essential for every facet of life. Faithfulness is: honoring God and people; honesty in our words and actions; and integrity in our morals and ethics. But the unfaithful cannot be trusted, so every relationship (home, work, friends) is at risk. To be faithful is simply aligning our convictions and our conduct. The Holy Spirit plants God’s Word in our lives to grow our faith in God and our faithfulness to others. As our trust in God increases, we will be people who are worthy of trust - the ones you can count on.
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