Faithfulness in the Lord’s Service

After a three weeks visit to our beloved family at Taipei, as we flew back home, as usual, I read my Bible on the flight. The scheduled reading was  on the book of Chronicles. It was very tempting to skip over the multitude of names that hardly made any sense unless delved into deeply. But one thing that caught my attention was this verse:

1 Chronicles 9:22 All these who were chosen to be gatekeepers in the thresholds were two hundred twelve. These were enrolled by genealogy in their villages; David and Samuel the seer appointed them because of their faithfulness.

I kept reading, and another verse confirmed the point further:

1 Chronicles 9:26 For the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were faithful and were over the chambers and over the treasuries in the house of God.

This brought my attention back to the negative aspect of not being faithful.

1 Chronicles 9:1 So all Israel was enrolled by genealogy, and they are now written in the book of the kings of Israel; and Judah was carried away captive to Babylon for their unfaithfulness.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 So Saul died on account of his unfaithfulness which he committed against Jehovah, because of the word of Jehovah which he did not keep, and also because he asked the counsel of a medium, inquiring of it. And he did not inquire of Jehovah; therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.  

I re-read the chapter and discovered to my amazement that to serve in the house of God, one key point is faithfulness. It did not talk about skill or any other virtues, but for service it simply mentioned about faithfulness. This was such an eye opening to me. 

As I considered this matter of faithfulness, the Lord enlightened me further with the following verses in the New Testament. 

Matthew 24:45-46 Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.

Matthew 25:23 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.

In serving the Lord, the main virtue required is faithfulness, in matters big or small. This is the same point I have been mentioning to the serving ones in the literature service. That they be faithful in their service. I would not want "to rule over them" like a secular company manager would do to their subordinates. But I would rather that every one serves faithfully. Fruitfulness is simply the result of serving faithfully. This is also the main characteristic I would look for in a person who would be enrolled into the literature service, apart from their skills. And this is the reason why I used to pray for all the serving ones to be faithful and fruitful; to take the Lord as their faithfulness and be blessed by the Lord to be fruitful.

As I reconsidered my life, by the Lord's mercy, the faithful God has gradually become my faithfulness. I am so glad, my wife gave me a name in Chinese which has the word faithfulness in it, or at least, it is implied. The same applies to all walks of life, in service life, in marriage life, in any matter, faithfulness is the key word that stands out. The Lord is faithful! And I must take His faithfulness to be my faithfulness.

Lord, be my faithfulness and make me fruitful, in my life and in my service.