Faithfulness isn’t a complicated concept, but it is one that requires constant attention.
Faithfulness is more than just doing the right thing. It’s often about doing the brave thing…but not the stupid thing.
As usual, Jesus said it best:
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ (Luke 14:28-30)
Notice that Jesus didn’t say not to build the tower. He didn’t discourage big dreams and audacious goals. He just said to think it through first.
Fear says “don’t stick your neck out”. Foolishness says “stick your neck out as fast and as far as you can and then look around to see if anything is likely to chop it off!
Faithfulness walks the fine line between those two extremes.
And this isn’t just how we make “big” decisions in life (which are usually just the end result of a whole bunch of little decisions along the way)…it’s how we’re called to live every day.
Faithfulness is the daily choice to walk the line between foolishness and fear.