Fruit of the Spirit Series: Faithfulness and Messy Conversations.

I sat in Heather’s office one day asking, “What if I lose my faith in all this?” I was traveling back and forth between Duke Hospital on the weekends, then home to work during the middle of the week. Bill was staying there full time and we kept getting worse news with each doctor visit. I began to worry that losing my husband of almost 25 years would shake me to the inner core of my faith and even my identity. Heather’s reply to my question that day came to mind when I was studying faithfulness. She basically said, “I know you. You won't lose your faith.” Later that evening I asked the same thing of Aleta, Crystal, and Kara… their response was the same. It was if they all were more sure than I was about who I was.

In Romans 4:3 we read, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” The Word of God actually assigns this man’s faith to his identity. Hebrews 11 goes even further and literally is an all-star list of those who demonstrated so much faith that the actual Word of God lists them and it becomes their identity and legacy! Look at who is listed. These are not perfect people and they endured horrible things, but they had faith!
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Do you know someone who is so faithful to something it is actually their identity? Maybe they are a diehard Cubs’ fan and they watch every game, know every stat, wear the shirts, and have the car tags. Maybe they work hard and their identity involves a uniform. They are faithful. It becomes who they are.

Faith is believing, trusting, and having confidence in something. Faithfulness goes a step further and draws upon loyalty to that faith, or a consistent pattern of having faith in something. Hebrews 11 makes it clear that putting action into faith results in faithfulness to the level that it becomes identity!

So what happens when life as you know it is shaken to the core? I found out the day the doctor told me that my husband was not going to survive cancer. I will be fully transparent in saying that the last year and a half has been a battle of shaken identity and faith. Any widow out there will tell you that settling into a new identity is not easy. The key is having faith, putting to work that faith, then a new identity in Christ emerges. I cannot say I am there yet. As that popular song by the Hemphills goes, “He’s still workin’ on me.” Conversations with God during this time have sometimes been messy, but I keep having them.

I am thankful that I had family and friends that kept reminding me that I would not lose my faith. The cards, the messages, texts, phone calls, and hugs all kept me grounded in that faith that I was not sure would last. I needed help staying in that faith, putting it to action, and staying in that identity.

We live in a shaken world right now. Maybe you are going through your own personal battle of identity or faith. Take the time to ask yourself these questions.

What am I so faithful to that it is my identity? Are my faith and actions going to result in an identity in Christ? 

Take time to read about faithfulness in Hebrews chapter 11. 

Keep having conversations even if they are messy! Never stop talking to God!

God is a God of promises kept. He is unwavering, full of grace and mercy, and He can carry you through. He is worthy of our faithfulness!

Author: Kim Carroll