Traits of Faithful People

Matthew 25:21
We know from this passage and others that God places high value on faithfulness. I believe every boss, pastor, and leader in the world would rejoice if every one of their employees and volunteer workers possessed faithfulness.

What exactly does this mean in the context of working in church or ministry?

•    Careful to fulfill a promise; reliable; you can believe them
•    Dedicated in carrying out duties and responsibilities
•    Diligent in their work
•    Dependable in completing assignments; you can count on their work being done
•    Thorough; not just a good starter, but also a great finisher; doesn’t “drop the ball” halfway through the project
•    Pays attention to details; doesn’t let things “fall through the cracks”
•    Punctual; shows up on time and meets deadlines
•    Consistent and constant; not up one day and down the next
•    Doesn’t just look good on the surface, but is solid through and through
•    Honest and trustworthy; isn’t underhanded or sneaky
•    Meets and exceeds expectations; doesn’t do just enough to get by; is willing to go the extra mile

The results of faithfulness:  Genesis 39:2-6; 21-23
Joseph’s faithfulness to the Lord caused the Lord to bless Potiphar for Joseph’s sake, and Joseph’s faithfulness to Potiphar had immediate tangible results. With Joseph in charge, Potiphar didn’t have a care in the world. Even in jail Joseph’s faithfulness was clearly evident and openly rewarded. Because the chief jailer let Joseph take care of everything, the chief jailer had no more problems or worries. Like Joseph, a faithful supportive minister/elder should relieve his pastor (or leader) of detail work and mental clutter. If however, a supportive minister/elder is not dependable, the pastor will be burdened by those matters and will not be free to focus on the issues that should receive his attention.

(Proverbs 25:19)
This verse tells us that a faithless minister/elder will cause the pastor pain and discomfort and make it difficult for him to do what needs to be done.

(Proverbs 20:6)
This verse tells us that it’s not the talkers who are valuable contributors to the church, it’s the doers—these are the people who really get the job done! “Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.”

Some people fail the faithfulness test because they don’t value what in their mind is a small task. In other words, they think, When God gives me a really important assignment, then I’ll be diligent and faithful. But anything that you are assigned to do is big in God’s eyes—and so is your faithfulness or lack of faithfulness in getting the job done. Your level of faithfulness determines the value of your service to your pastor and church. As your faithfulness decreases so does your value. But if you remain faithful, dependable, and thorough, God will use you mightily!