Being Faithful Is Being Successful
God requires that we be completely loyal to Him (Ex 34:14, CEV). As Mother Theresa put it, “God did not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.” Hence, it is better to be faithful than famous” (T. Roosevelt). Christ’s people are specifically called ‘faithful ones’ (Rev 17:14, NLT). Those who are holy believe in Jesus and are faithful to keep doing what the Lord directs them to do (Rev 14:12, Beck). In Ps 16:3, the saints (NIV) are described as godly (BV), faithful (TEV), and glorious ones (NBV). For the believer, one of our greatest pleasures is to be with other faithful members of God’s family (Ps 16:3, TEV).
In 1876, B. B. Warfield graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary and got married to Annie Kinkead. When he was on his honeymoon, she became permanently paralyzed when she was hit by lightning. Warfield continued to care for her, rarely leaving her at home for more than two straight hours (Woodbridge (ed), Great Leaders of the Christian Church, p 344). This is a great example of being faithful. “Faithfulness in carrying out present duties is the best preparation for the future” (Fenelon).
On Judgment Day, will God focus on how attractive and stylish we were? Will our intelligence, financial success, or fame be His chief concern? No! He has told us what His emphasis will be for His people: faithfulness (Mt 25:14-46). If the Lord bids us do something, nothing should be considered small. It is an opportunity to be faithful.
When God wants a couple or family to alter course, the revelation is normally clear.