(a 5 minute read) Lindsay and Trevor went to a movie and dinner for their date night. As they were picking at their appetizers, it is their tradition to talk about the movie they just saw. In a certain part of the movie the wife discovers that her husband had cheated on her and she felt that the only way to get back at him is to cheat on him.

As Lindsay dipped a tortilla chip in the guacamole smirked so much so that she had to wait to finish her smirking before she can chow down on this fabulous piece of dip. Trevor of course noticed her and smilingly said, “Come on now, share what’s running through your mind.”

Lindsay actually laughed out loud and said, “You won’t laugh, it’s weird.” Trevor almost begged her to tell him, as he wanted to laugh as well, whether that is with Lindsay or at her, it did not matter at this point, he just wanted to laugh.

Lindsay explained that with the movie about faithfulness of one spouse to another, she imagined a scenario between her and two of her girlfriends on a girl’s night out, and the context of what they talked about was a bit absurd and that’s what made her laugh. Here’s the scenario;

• Are you faithful to your husband?
  – Well, Yeah
• Are you faithful to him just because he’s faithful to you?
  – I guess, but wait, no, no, that’s not how it works. It is not a tit for tat kind of thing….
• What do you mean? How do you know he’s faithful? Do you ask him every so often?
  – I’ve never once asked him and he’s never once asked me in 19 years of marriage

Lindsay looked intently into Trevor’s eyes, “Do you see what I mean by an absurd scenario?” Trevor indicated that it is indeed an absurd scenario and added, “I am not laughing though.” Lindsay threw her head backwards and once again laughed out loud as she said, “no, no I am not asking you.” Although Trevor found the whole bit weird, it evoked a thought, and he shared it with Lindsay.

You know, in most intimate relationships, whether as a couple or in friendships, there is never questioning of faithfulness from one to another unless there is reason to believe there is ‘unfaithfulness’ going on! Besides, in solid relationships there is never a measure of what one does for the other in order to reciprocate in the same measure, simply NEVER.

Yet people of faith frequently, repeatedly and often say things like;

• God is faithful!
• If you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to you.
• You think what you have and how your life is, is because you are faithful to God?
• God is faithful to you because you are faithful to him
  ……. and many more like them.

Why do we consider this kind of talk as ‘GOOD’ talk, yet we would almost never have this kind of conversation between us, as good friends or as couples? The answer is; it would simply offend my wife (as it would me if it were the opposite) if I, from time to time, ask “Are you faithful to me?” Or say something like, “Are you doing ‘this’ for me because I had done ‘that’ for you?”

It would be simply ludicrous! Correct?

Then maybe it is time to change this mind set about ‘if you are faithful to God, then He is faithful to you’. Better yet, we should erase this concept that life is good to me is evidence of God’s faithfulness. It is simply not biblical. You know it and I know it, so let’s work ever so hard to use tools to remind ourselves that God’s faithfulness is REAL and is EVIDENT as His promise is to be WITH YOU ALWAYS. This is indeed the only promise. His Faithfulness = He is with you, through good, bad or indifferent. Just like a faithful couple, they are together through thick and thin, and what makes it bearable is that they are through it together. That’s how God is. Is God faithful? Of Course He Is………… but that’s a given not a ‘test’ not ‘evidence’ not ‘a sign’ and not ‘proof’, rather simply IS.

So let’s never bring His faithfulness into a conversation, unless it is because we are questioning it. Not because we are pointing to at as a ‘wow God is faithful’. Questioning His Faithfulness is actually good, for it is through questioning, that we can come closer to Him and experience His presence which in turn comfort us and clears away the questioning. May God’s Peace, Joy and Presence be sensed by you ALWAYS 🙂