Studying what matters to God, part III

Yesterday, we noted that faithfulness is important to having godly character; God is faithful, and we strive as believers to be more like Him. How do we build faithfulness?
Let's look at some really practical ideas on this . . . .

First, to develop faithfulness, we need to recognize the responsibilities that God has given us. We need to define them.  What do we mean?
Well, as a Christian, we have responsibilities: we are tasked with obeying God's commands. We need to live a pure and holy life that honors Him; we need to show love to everyone, including our enemies; we need to glorify Him in all that we do.  If we are parents, we have responsibilities to train and guide our kids in the ways of God. As a friend, we have responsibilities to help our friends, whether it is with comfort or rebuke, always using patience and mercy, since Christ has shown mercy to us. As a member of the body of Christ, we are responsible for using our gifts and talents to advance His kingdom and to glorify Him. We can't be faithful if we are not focused on what we are supposed to be doing!
Another way to develop faithfulness is to make sure we don't neglect the "small" things. Remember this ending to a parable?

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." (Luke 16:10, NIV)

If we are faithful in "small" things, we will be faithful with much more. What are the little things? Perhaps a practical application is our management of the money that God has entrusted to us. I don't expect many millionaires read this study blog, so I can safely say that most of us have "a little" money to manage. Do we squander it on selfish things, or do we invest it wisely for God's purposes? Do we pay our bills on time, or do we have to pay extra because of unpaid balances? Are we honest in our financial matters?
Maybe it's not just money! Do we keep our word with others? Can they count on us to do what we say we will do? Do we live an orderly life; do we keep appointments on time? All of these come under the heading of "faithfulness in small things."

Another aspect of faithfulness is to keep our relationships straight - to keep our priorities right. What would you say was the most important relationship we have? I think most of us would say our relationship with Jesus, our Savior, is first. If it is neglected, everything else goes sideways! Being faithful means spending time alone with Him each day.  Our relationships with family members come next. Those family relationships are so important that Paul said those who didn't prioritize these correctly were not qualified to lead in the church. John even said that if we don't love our fellow believers (who we have seen), we cannot love God, whom we have not seen. (I John 4:20)

Lastly, being faithful is impossible unless we use our time effectively. Many people complain that they don't have enough time to do what they are supposed to do.  Or they can't keep their word, or fulfill a promise because "there's just not enough time." Or, "I'm just too busy."
BUT we all have the same number of hours each day!
Faithful people are those who learn to use their time well. They will find time for recognizing their responsibilities, for keeping track of the small things, for the relationships that matter.
Being faithful is a godly characteristic. It's something that matters to God.
More on this tomorrow!