Fellowship focus 6 - April 1999
The importance of being reliable in an unreliable world
With a title like this how could I refuse to write such an article.
Some while ago Barbara and I decided to make a will and we naturally sought out a Christian solicitor. One was duly recommended but it meant my taking a half-day off work and travelling by train half way to London.
Having made the appointment we turned up to find the solicitor had gone home. `He must have forgotten' said the secretary. We found a non-Christian solicitor nearer home and more reliable.
Sadly today we often find we cannot trust people's words, promises etc. they are so easily forgotten or ignored if it is inconvenient or something else turns up. This is bad enough in the world but should never occur among Christians. Are we really much different? The true example given is sadly not uncommon.
Why then should we be reliable (dependable, trustworthy, true, faithful, honest).
- First - we are not our own, we are bought at a price and are being transformed into Christ's likeness day by day. (2 Corinthians 3 v18) i.e. we should be reflecting the character of our lord even if in only a dim way.
He is trustworthy, reliable and true in all He says and does and thus that should be our mark too. - Second - We are ambassadors of Christ, that is we are of his kingdom and our behaviour in this world reflects upon Him. A very sobering thought!
Joseph is an example: He was sold as a slave to Egypt and yet we find by Genesis 39 v4 that Potipher " put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned." Here is a reliable man if ever there was one! Even later on when he was unjustly imprisoned ( in verse 22), "So the warder put Joseph in charge of all those hold in the prison and he was made responsible for all that was done there."
Daniel is another example (Daniel 2 v48) " Then the king places Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men."
Whatever the secular people thought of those men they knew that God was with them.
Reliability in the home
Often the home is the most difficult place to show spiritual fruit. In familiar surroundings we drop our guard and show our trueselves. Parent, are you consistent with your children? When you say "don't" do you mean it every time or are you found to be inconsistent leaving the child confused over what's right and wrong? ( Ephesians 6 V4). Do we have lower standards in the family? E.g. promises not to be held too seriously.
At work
Do we "skive", when the boss is away? - take short cuts etc, or do we work diligently regardless of who is watching. Remember who is your real employer, and he always knows! Remember Joseph and how he could be left to get on with it.
The Church
It has been said that the Church is not a museum of saints but a museum for sinners. However this does not excuse us for sloppy standards. The world, although quick to condemn Christians for their spiritual stand still expect a high standard of honesty, trustworthiness and reliability from us and rightly so. Only make a promise if you can keep it and never break it unless it is a matter of life or death. My father who was in the legal profession once gave me the definition of a `Gentleman's agreement' - a verbal contract between 2 men neither of whom are gentlemen each considering the other bound by the term but not himself. Let it not be said of us!
How then can we be more reliable in our lives? Perhaps like so many under today's pressure life is disorganised - lurching from one mess to another, you forget or mislay appointments, promises etc. what can be done?
May I make 2 suggestions -
- take time to know God. Joseph and Daniel were men who knew their god and it showed in their lives.
- But do not expect Him to somehow organise your life for you suddenly. He has given you a mind and a will and you must train yourself to be organised and this is hard work.
After all athletes, musicians or anyone in any profession will do this, how much more for God's glory! This is called ` self - discipline'. An unpopular expression today but I believe essential for any Christian but that is another subject!
Vic Pool.