Faithfulness, Meekness

One of the fruits of the Spirit is faithfulness. A Christian in whom this fruit has developed will be completely dependable. Someone has said: “The ultimate test of a man’s character is this: are there any circumstances under which he will not speak the truth? If so, the rest of his character is worthless, for basically he is unsound.” Strong words. How many of us, I wonder, could pass this test? I knew a Christian worker who worked herself almost to a standstill in the cause of Christ, but she couldn’t refrain from telling lies; those lies cancelled out a lot of her life’s work.

Is it ever right to lie? “God is not a man who lies” (Nm 23:19). If God cannot lie, then He won’t delegate to us the privilege of doing it for Him! Let’s go over our lives today in the light of the Holy Spirit’s presence and check to see if there are any loose ends, unfulfilled promises, or half-fulfilled tasks. If there are, let’s decide to complete them.

Another fruit of the Spirit is gentleness or meekness. This word is greatly misunderstood in Christian circles, for meekness is seen by many as weakness. It brings to mind (for many) the cringing spirit of Uriah Heap, who said, “I am so very ‘umble, Master Copperfield, so very ‘umble.” I once saw a powerful steam hammer come down so gently on an egg that it just cracked its top. That is meekness. It is divine strength and power projected in the gentlest manner.

Further Study

Lk 19:1-28; Rv 2:10; Heb 10:23; 1Pt 4:19; 1Co 4:2; James 3:13

What was the master’s response to the faithful steward?

How did he deal with the unfaithful one?