Faithfulness is More Than Obedience
By Steve Backlund
“And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities’” (Luke 19:17).
It is an irrefutable law of the spirit that those who are faithful at their current level of life will be promoted and increase in:
Favor
Resources
Authority
What is faithfulness? Is it just obedience-focused or something more?
Faithfulness is not just showing up; it is how we think when we show up. We show up full of faith. We believe we are significant and what we do is significant.
Certainly, doing the right things regardless of how we feel is part of maturing, but it is not ultimate faithfulness. Indeed the kingdom is not advanced by good behavior, but it is advanced by good beliefs. The question of the hour is not, “What should I do?’, but it is, “What should I believe?”
“For whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). Sin is an archery term meaning “to miss the mark”. If we do the right thing without believing it will create good things, then our faithfulness (obedience) will miss the mark of the impact it could have had.
“Steve, instead of waiting to do something great, why don’t you attach great faith to what you are doing now and it will become great.” I remember hearing these words in my spirit years ago. It has helped shape me (and what I am trying to say in this teaching).
How do we know if we are walking in true faithfulness? 2 Corinthians 9:7 gives us a key indicator. “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Cheerfulness is the evidence we have attached faith to what we are giving ourselves to in time, passions, resources, and money. A lack of cheerfulness is usually an indicator we are “obeying” without faith. “Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2) Regular gladness in our assignments and responsibilities is evidence we have passed the tests at the level we are at (we are faithful) and ready for more. A chronic lack of gladness in our homes, jobs, ministries, etc. most often reveals we have non-faith-filled beliefs concerning what we are doing. In these assignments, we all have reasons to not be glad (because there are things in them that we wish were different). I realize this is a challenging word, but there is a truth in this that will change our lives. (My book Fully Convinced goes deeper into this.)
If we lack cheerfulness and gladness in our obedience, it is usually because we have misunderstood what faithfulness really is. Yes, I realize there are times we obey afraid or begrudgingly (and this is better than not doing the right thing), but we cannot stay in a place of non-joy-filled obedience as it keeps us restricted and with less authority than we desire or were created for.
You, however, are the person who will hear and experience these words - “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, enter into a season of greater resources, authority, and influence.”