What is your idea of a faithful man? A man who is a loyal, law-abiding, taxpaying citizen? A man who is conscientious, trustworthy, faithful to his wife, and keeps his word? A faithful man has these qualities, of course, but there is more to faithfulness than these things. A man who is a Christian may be faithful in attending the worship services of the church on a regular basis, but faithfulness is not limited to that. It is possible for a man to be faithful in attending the worship services of the church and not be faithful in other areas of service. So, how does God define faithful?
A faithful man is accountable.
Accountability means answerable. Accepting accountability means that we admit that there is a standard that we are answerable to and we have the humility to be guided by that standard; the standard of a faithful man is the word of God. Accepting accountability means we must discipline ourselves to show integrity; we must commit ourselves to do what is right and maintain consistency between our principles and our practice. Accepting accountability means having the courage to "man up," to face the consequences of everything we do.
A faithful man has a genuine faith in God.
He walks with God as did Enoch (Gen. 5:22,24) and Noah (Gen. 6:9). Walking with God implies harmony, agreement and fellowship. A faithful man walks before God as did Abraham (Gen. 17:1). walking before God implies that we know that God is constantly observing us (Heb. 4:13). A faithful man walks after God (Hosea 11:10). Walking after God is a matter of following God and His instructions. Hebrews 11 provides a good list of faithful men. These men were not sinless, but they were faithful. They had a working, obedient faith in God.
A faithful man is dependable.
If he is a scripturally married man, then he can be counted on to love, honor, and cherish his wife (Eph. 5:22-33). A husband is to be committed to self-sacrificing love, care, and provision for his family. Self-centeredness, dishonesty, and laziness are no substitutes for faithfulness. If a man has an honorable occupation, then he can be counted on to do his job. A faithful man is committed to consistent, quality work (Col. 3:22-24). Most importantly, a faithful man can be counted on to live for Christ (Phil. 1:21; Col. 2:3).
A faithful man is prayerful.
The OT prophet Daniel's custom since his early days was to pray three times a day and give thanks before God (Dan. 6:10). Jesus said, "...that men always ought to pray and not lose heart" (Lk. 18:1). A faithful man is thankful for the privilege of prayer. A faithful man prays without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17); he will not stop praying. Ronald Reagan said with reference to his responsibilities and the presidency, "I am afraid to suggest this, but I am more afraid not to- Let us pray."
Faithfulness is not limited to one or two areas of a man's life. It governs everything he does, in every relationship.
-Scott Vifquain
A faithful man is accountable.
Accountability means answerable. Accepting accountability means that we admit that there is a standard that we are answerable to and we have the humility to be guided by that standard; the standard of a faithful man is the word of God. Accepting accountability means we must discipline ourselves to show integrity; we must commit ourselves to do what is right and maintain consistency between our principles and our practice. Accepting accountability means having the courage to "man up," to face the consequences of everything we do.
A faithful man has a genuine faith in God.
He walks with God as did Enoch (Gen. 5:22,24) and Noah (Gen. 6:9). Walking with God implies harmony, agreement and fellowship. A faithful man walks before God as did Abraham (Gen. 17:1). walking before God implies that we know that God is constantly observing us (Heb. 4:13). A faithful man walks after God (Hosea 11:10). Walking after God is a matter of following God and His instructions. Hebrews 11 provides a good list of faithful men. These men were not sinless, but they were faithful. They had a working, obedient faith in God.
A faithful man is dependable.
If he is a scripturally married man, then he can be counted on to love, honor, and cherish his wife (Eph. 5:22-33). A husband is to be committed to self-sacrificing love, care, and provision for his family. Self-centeredness, dishonesty, and laziness are no substitutes for faithfulness. If a man has an honorable occupation, then he can be counted on to do his job. A faithful man is committed to consistent, quality work (Col. 3:22-24). Most importantly, a faithful man can be counted on to live for Christ (Phil. 1:21; Col. 2:3).
A faithful man is prayerful.
The OT prophet Daniel's custom since his early days was to pray three times a day and give thanks before God (Dan. 6:10). Jesus said, "...that men always ought to pray and not lose heart" (Lk. 18:1). A faithful man is thankful for the privilege of prayer. A faithful man prays without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17); he will not stop praying. Ronald Reagan said with reference to his responsibilities and the presidency, "I am afraid to suggest this, but I am more afraid not to- Let us pray."
Faithfulness is not limited to one or two areas of a man's life. It governs everything he does, in every relationship.
-Scott Vifquain