We all have people that we look up to, people that we admire. Maybe we admire them because they have a beautiful family, or maybe it’s because of the amazing career or calling that they’ve been blessed to walk in. Regardless of the reasons, their lives give us hope. Their stories help us to see that God’s vision for our lives might actually be attainable. It’s inspiring, but the only problem, is that it’s not the whole story. Our view from the outside looking in only shows us the end result. We only get a chance to see the mountaintop that they stand on.
But every mountain begins in a valley.
We’ll never get a chance to see where they started. We’ll never get a chance to see the tears that they cried, praying that they would one day be where they are now. And we’ll never get a chance to see the times that they wanted to give up. These are the things that happen in the silence. These are the things that occur in seasons of obscurity…seasons of waiting. So, the question is what happens in these silent seasons? And how did these people get to the place where they are now?
Faithfulness in the valley qualifies us for the mountaintop.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? (Luke 16:10-12 NLT)
According to scripture, our faithfulness in the little things (the valley) is an indication of the measure of faithfulness that we will have in the big things (the mountaintop). I once heard a preacher say it like this: The platform is just a raised position…whoever you were before the platform is the same person you will be on the platform; the only difference is that your actions will now be magnified. As the above scripture states, if you are dishonest in the little things (when no one is looking), you won’t all of the sudden be honest with the greater responsibilities (when all eyes are on you). We must understand that God is watching us right where we are. He is watching to see how we handle our current season. He is watching to see how we steward over the assignments that He gives us now.
Our performance in the present determines what God can trust us with in the future.
Maybe you’re reading this, and it sounds a bit harsh, but we must understand that this is a principle designed by God. This is how God sees what we are actually made of. This is how He tests us. This is how He determines whether or not He can trust us with more.
So, what does it look like to be faithful? Well, according to Oxford Languages, to be faithful is to “remain loyal and steadfast” (Oxford Languages, n.d.). But I believe that faithfulness goes a step further. Here’s a definition that I’ve put together.
Faithfulness is proving our loyalty to God through unwavering obedience.
Being faithful isn’t just about proclaiming our loyalty to God. True faithfulness, is proven by our actions. True faithfulness, is proven when we obey God’s instructions, because He is the Lord of our lives. This means that His instructions don’t have to make sense. This means that it doesn’t matter what the situation looks like. At the end of the day, we obey Him just because He said so. When He gives us an assignment, and we don’t understand why…we obey Him. When He tells us to do the same thing over and over again, and we don’t see the fruit of our efforts…we still obey Him. When we are faithful, we are unwavering...we are rooted, because we know that our God knows what’s best. This, is what God looks for in the hearts of those He calls.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT)
The Lord spoke these words to the prophet Samuel before he anointed Israel’s second king. At this point in time, Israel’s first king, Saul, had just been rejected by God. And the Lord had given Samuel instructions to go down to Bethlehem to a man named Jesse’s house, to find the one the Lord had chosen. When Samuel arrived in Bethlehem, he took a look at Jesse’s sons, and tried to pick out the next king according to their physical appearance…according to whether or not they looked like a king. But God’s response was that none of this qualified them to be Israel’s next king. God doesn’t use our outward appearance to qualify us for purpose. He doesn’t judge us in the same way that people do. God sees beneath the surface. He sees who we really are. And this is what He told Samuel that day.
In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:10-13 NLT)
What was David doing when he was called? He was being faithful. While his brothers were at the house, he was in the fields. He was taking care of the small things…the things that seemed of little value. And His faithfulness in that season, proved to God that he could be trusted with more. Because David was faithful to shepherd over his father’s sheep, God knew that he would be faithful to shepherd over the children of Israel. David’s life is an example of what stewardship looks like. It didn’t matter where David was. It didn’t matter if he was watching over sheep and goats, it didn’t matter if he was delivering food to his brothers, it didn’t matter if he was tasked with soothing the king…David stewarded over each season of his life, and this, is what qualified him to walk into each new season that God had for him.
Faithfulness is the prerequisite to walking in purpose.
Faithfulness isn’t just about God testing our hearts, faithfulness is also how God prepares us to walk in purpose. What do I mean? Well, let’s see if one of my favorite movies (The Karate Kid) can shed some light on this. I’m sure you’ve seen this movie before, but if not, here’s a quick recap:
The main character in the movie is a teenager named Daniel LaRusso. He has just moved to a new city; he’s an outsider, and very early into the movie he begins to have trouble with a group of guys that are experienced karate students. Daniel ends up having several run-ins with these guys, they roughed him up a couple of times, but one time, a man named Mr. Miyagi sees the unfair match and decides to intervene. Mr. Miyagi uses karate to save Daniel, and gets him home safely. Once Daniel realizes that Mr. Miyagi saved him using karate, he asks Mr. Miyagi to train him in the discipline, and although Mr. Miyagi was reluctant, he eventually agreed. At this point in the story, Daniel is excited to learn how to defend himself, only, things don’t go according to plan. Daniel arrives at Mr. Miyagi’s house to begin training, but instead of teaching him the art of self-defense, Mr. Miyagi gives him a list of chores. One day, he tells Daniel to sand the ground. One day, he tells Daniel to wax the cars, and another day, he tells Daniel to paint the fence. Daniel labors over these repetitive chores day after day, when finally, he gets fed up. He confronts Mr. Miyagi. He tells Mr. Miyagi that he didn’t come to work, he came to learn how to defend himself, but Mr. Miyagi responds by showing Daniel how the repetitive chores were teaching Daniel exactly what he needed to be able to defend himself. He showed Daniel how each movement had a specific purpose. He proved to Daniel that the repetition was training him to be able to respond in the heat of battle without thought. Mr. Miyagi used a roundabout method of teaching Daniel, and this is often times how God teaches us. We can see evidence of this in King David’s story.
David is most known for defeating a giant named Goliath…an impossible task…a task that everyone else was afraid to take on. But how did David get to that point? You see…at this point in his life, this is the mountaintop…this is what made him famous…this is what everyone knew him for. From the outside looking in, David looks lucky…like he has it made, but we know that this isn’t the whole story.
“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:32-37 NLT)
David’s response to Saul points back to his faithfulness in the valley. He tells Saul that while he was watching over his father’s sheep and goats, he protected them. He tells Saul how he killed lions and bears, and tells him that he will do the same to the giant. David was convinced that the same God that prepared and protected him in the valley, would be the same God that would protect him, and ensure his success now. David knew that his faithfulness had prepared him for this moment.
Faithfulness takes faith.
It’s no coincidence that the root word for faithfulness is faith. There’s no denying that we need faith, in order to live a faith-full life. We have to have faith in God. We have to have faith that He knows what’s best, and we have to have faith that He is leading us in the direction of the purpose that He’s called us to. With that being said, it isn’t possible to walk in faithfulness without first having faith in God. So, my question is where do you stand with that? Do you feel like you are in a place of being full of faith in God? Do you trust Him with your life? Do you trust him enough to obey His instruction even when they don’t make sense…even when they don’t seem to be producing the right fruit?
Today, I want to encourage you in your faith. I want to empower you to take that leap of faith, to walk full of faith, to trust that God has your back. Maybe you’re in a place where you hear God saying things that don’t quite make sense. If so, I want you to know that this is a season where God is testing your faith…He wants to see if you have a heart that will follow Him no matter the cost. He wants to see what you are made of, and He wants to prepare you. He wants to give you the tools to succeed in purpose. He wants to equip you with everything that you will need for the next season of your life. But if you want to get there, if you want to see the mountaintop that He has for you, you will first have to be faithful right where you are. You will first have to trust Him right where you are.
When we are faithful, we see the faithfulness of God.
To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. (Psalms 18:25 NLT)
This is who our God is. He is a faithful God. He is a God that comes through for us over and over again, when we place our trust in Him. So today, make the decision to completely place your life in His hands, no matter the cost. Whatever it is that He is calling you to, follow Him…allow Him to lead, allow him to prepare you, allow him to give you the gift of purpose that He has for you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the calling the you’ve placed on my life, and thank you for showing me that I can not walk in purpose without first walking in faithfulness. Thank you for showing me that you always have my best interest at heart. Thank you for reminding me that I can trust you, even when your instructions don’t make sense. I know that regardless of where I am in life, you are moving me closer to the place that you have prepared for me. So today, I am choosing to have faith in you. Today, I am making the decision to follow you, anywhere. Wherever you lead me God, I will go. Whatever you ask me to do God, I will do. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, I declare that I will remain faithful to you. And I know that as I remain faithful to you, that I will see your goodness and faithfulness in my life. I love you Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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