July Devotional: Fruit of the Spirit- Faithfulness
Written by Jon Soden:
FAITHFULNESS
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
As we continue our monthly readings on the fruits of the Spirit, this July we focus on faithfulness.
In the Old Testament, the original text of Hebrew translates faithfulness to ‘Emunah’, from the root word ‘aman’, and carries a much deeper meaning than how we perceive it today. In the Hebrew context, it means: firmness, steadiness, reliability, and trustworthiness, a loyal and unwavering character, and something you can lean your full weight on. Emunah is a faithfulness that is proven over time.
The fruits of the Spirit represent the character of God, with one of those fruits being faithfulness. And because we are made in God’s image, we are called to be faithful and our lives should represent this on a day to day basis. Faithfulness is an action that comes in many forms. Fortunately, we see it displayed in many different ways throughout the Bible.
Abraham remained faithful despite doubt. God promised Abraham to “look up at the sky and count the stars…so shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5). His wife was beyond what they thought were her child bearing years and Abraham struggled with doubt throughout the process. However, he showed faithfulness by choosing not to act on that doubt and trust God. We are human and are not always able to control our thoughts and emotions, but we can choose how we act on them.
Noah remained faithful despite outside noise. Noah was commanded to build an ark, though the people “knew nothing until the flood came” (Matthew 24:38). His community did not believe him. Even his own friends probably laughed at him. But Noah chose to be obedient and faithful to God despite what society told him. In our culture today, society tries to put limitations on how we can or cannot act. Faithfulness means to remain obedient to His Word, not to the voice of others.
Daniel remained faithful under pressure. A decree was placed that no one could pray to the God of Israel. Despite knowing he could be killed, Daniel chose to continue to pray. As a result, he was thrown into the lions’ den to be killed. Famously, Daniel is unharmed and tells the king, “My God sent His angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions” (Daniel 6:22). Throughout the pressure from others and the pressure of the moment in the den, Daniel kept his trust in God. If you remain faithful to God, He will remain faithful to you.
Ruth remained faithful to her family. Naomi gives Ruth a way out; a chance to go pursue whatever she desires. But Ruth remains loyal to her, saying “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16). Faithfulness isn't just about being faithful to God--but to others as well. Jesus consistently preached the importance of how we treat others. We can indirectly show faithfulness to God by first being faithful to those around us.
David remained faithful despite failure. King David may have defeated a giant, but then he was defeated by his own eyes. Though God had given him more than he could have ever imagined, in a moment, he falls to his fleshly desires of lust. While overlooking his rooftop, he sees Bathsheba bathing. Not only does he give in to his lust, he also sends Bathsheba’s husband to the front lines of a battle so he is killed. David could have chosen to continue to run away from God, buried in shame and guilt. But instead, he runs back to God when he needs Him most. David writes Psalm 51 after her committed adultery with Bathsheba:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me…You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
Psalms 51:1-2, 6, 10-12, 16-17 NIV
Despite this, God says “David son of Jessa [is] a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22). We are human—we are not perfect and will have our failures. Faithfulness is about running back to God whenever we fall.
Faithfulness isn’t about being perfect — it’s about showing up. It’s choosing, day after day, to lean your full weight on God, even when it’s hard, even when you don’t feel it, even when you’ve failed. Every person we looked at had moments of doubt, pressure, or weakness, but they kept coming back to God. That’s what faithfulness looks like. And the best part is this: every time you take a step toward Him, He’s already moving toward you. He is faithful, and He never fails on His promises:
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 NIV