What does it mean to be faithful?
My gut tells me what it means to be unfaithful more than my heart is able to describe faithfulness at times.
Think about your spouse (if you happen to have one), what would you consider an unfaithful act. Adultery? Flirtation? Deep emotional attachment to one other than you?
What about your vocation. If you are or could be the boss, what would you consider a conflict of interest in the work place or an act of employee unfaithfulness? Taking on a second career that steals time away from your business? A job at a rival company? Simply not doing the work that was agreed upon?
In sports you wouldn't assist the opponent to victory would you?
In your studies you wouldn't falsify your testing would you?
A soldier who trades sides only to fight against their own is a...traitor. Unfaithful right?
A Few Thoughts:
1) Obedience: Simple obedience to what we've given ourselves over to is a physical sign of faithfulness.
2) Integrity: A state of wholeness, particularly the holistic blend of orthodoxy and orthopraxy. An undivided life both internally and externally...this life undoubtedly perpetuates faithfulness and staves off unfaithfulness.
3) Joy: Deep within every one of us is the need to experience joy in what/whom we're called to be faithful to. Joy doesn't equal passion or happiness. In fact joy may come in the dark, painful deserts we experience. When joy is intrinsic faithfulness abounds.
4) Divinity: Gods glory is the root of faithfulness. We exist because of His glory. Faithfulness comes to fruition within the knowledge of His Divine Nature. Without giving ourselves over to someOne greater than us, we may never know holistic faithfulness much less live it out personally.
What does it mean to be faithful? Joyful obedience to the Divine funded by the Spirit. This attitude perpetuates our ability and desire to be faithful, not simply to one-another, but ultimately to the Messiah who was and is and will always be eternally faithful to us.
To Israel at the end of his days Moses said, 'Do not be afraid or terrified because of [worldly forces], for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.' Deut. 31:6
I am, therefore, He is.