Spiritual Faithfulness

Spiritual practices can bring forward vague ideas based on abstract feelings that shift and move over time. Likewise, for many the concept of faithfulness might sound like a heavy burden that acts as a reminder that they can be or do more. However, what if spiritual practices aren’t meant to be mysterious and faithfulness isn’t about perfection but connection? 

At its heart, spiritual faithfulness is about taking God’s promises seriously, believing what the Scriptures tell us about our identity in Him and that He wants a real, active relationship with us. This relationship isn’t abstract nor are the practices within it. It’s rooted in the everyday moments of life, where we turn to God and find that He is already there, waiting to meet us.

While deepening our relationship with God may seem almost mystical in a sense, it’s simply a byproduct of an experience of God’s nearness that transforms us and helps us to maintain a solid foundation built upon unchanging love and truth. It’s the reality of abiding in Christ, as Jesus describes, where He is the vine and we are the branches. It’s about staying connected, drawing strength and purpose from Him as He works in and through us. (see John 15)

Spiritual faithfulness is deeply personal, but it’s also profoundly practical. It’s about living as if God’s words and promises are true, allowing them to shape how we think, act, and respond. We are given tools that when used in the right context serve a tangible pillars to draw us into God and posture us to live out of the understanding that as we operate day to day that we live as indwelt children of God being cared for, strengthened and transformed in our spirits even when we don’t realize it. These acts of faithfulness are meant to be a response to the grace, mercy and love we experience as an extension of our continued relationship with God. 

These actions can serve more as grounding in a storm that help you to keep pressing forward, getting up one more time than you’ve been knocked down than wonderful mountain top moments. All the same they can be daily moments of treasure that remind of who you are to God and the reality of His truth.

It’s important that when we process what it means to establish rhythms for our lives that involve actions such as purposeful time in conversation with God throughout the day, time spent not just studying the bible but resting in the story of Scripture, engaging in community with others and pouring into them that we remember that the value of our faithfulness isn’t found specifically in the quantity of the things that we do but in the heart and spirit in which we do them. Spiritual faithfulness isn’t about doing enough to appease God. Spiritual faithfulness is a deeply personal response to an invitation into a whole-sale transformation and access to a life postured to understand God’s active involvement. 

For further consideration:

• John 15

• Matthew 6

• James 4