For those of you who have been following these articles over the past few months, you already know my super-secret plan is to exhibit my faith in the workplace as an outpouring of the fruit of the Spirit.
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23
).
In this article, we will look at the concept of faithfulness. First, we’ll consider what “faithfulness” means. Second, we’ll analyze the role of faithfulness when integrating our faith in the workplace.
What Does “Faithfulness” Mean?
If you’re like me, when you read faithfulness, you immediately think, of being faithful to a spouse, a friend, or perhaps as a worker.
- A faithful spouse is one who remains true to their marriage vows.
- A faithful friend is one who is always at your side. They are loyal.
- Being faithful as a worker means we are thorough and reliable when performing our duties.
The idea of faithful, when expressed this way has a central focus on loyalty, trust, and reliability.
Paul Didn’t Say Faithfulness
The problem is that Paul didn’t use the word faithfulness in this sense (i.e., loyalty, trust, and reliability).
Paul actually used a specific Greek word meaning “faith.” Some of your Bibles may translate the verse the way Paul intended,
“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.”
The fruit of the spirit is faith. Faith is the belief in God. It is the belief in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.
You see, faith comes first as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Faithfulness stems from our faith and is demonstrated by how we live out our lives (including in the workplace).
Faithfulness is living out our lives in response to our faith.
It is important to remember we are saved by faith, not by faithfulness.
So, when Paul says, the fruit of the spirit is faith, he is referring to our belief in God.
Integrating Faithfulness in the Workplace
Now that we understand Paul’s point that our faith in God is the foundation of our beliefs. So, we can turn our attention to how we can integrate faithfulness into the workplace.
If we have a strong relationship to God, our faith is unbreakable. Once that relationship of faith is in place, we can demonstrate our faith to our fellow man.
We are saved by faith and called to faithfulness.
However, the question that remains is, how shall we live out this calling to faithfulness in the workplace?
Here is just a partial list of the many ways we can demonstrate our faithfulness in the workplace:
- Be true to our word. Let our “yes, be yes, and our no, no” (Matthew 5:37).
- Be honest in all our dealings. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22).
- Be reliable. Follow through on our commitments and promises. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3).
- Be loyal to the company and our co-workers. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).
Any positive Christian attributes can and should be demonstrated by our faithfulness to our company and our co-workers.
So, that is how we live out our faith and integrate our faithfulness into the workplace!
My Super-Secret Plan Series
I introduced my super-secret plan to integrate my faith into the workplace last fall. The plan itself is simple: I will exhibit, to the best of my ability, the fruit of the Spirit in the workplace as Paul directed in Galatians 5:22-23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
No one can stop us from integrating our faith in the workplace by exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit!
The “Faithfulness” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan is the eighth in a series, which examines how we, as Christians, can integrate our faith in the workplace.
If you missed one of the previous articles in the series, you can catch up here:
#302: My Super-Secret Plan to Integrate My Faith into the Workplace
#307: The “Love” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan
#311: The “Joy” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan
#315: The “Peace” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan
#324: The “Patience” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan
#333: The “Kindness” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan
#337: The “Goodness” Aspect of My Super-Secret Plan
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. How has faithfulness as an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit been demonstrated in your workplace?
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Category: Skills |Empowerment
