When I was a boy I followed the adventures of the Lone Ranger and his faithful companion Tonto. There was a joke back then that they were surrounded by a hostile tribe of Indians and the Lone Ranger said, “Looks like we are in a tight spot Tonto.” To which Tonto replied, “What you mean we, paleface?” It was funny at the time because it was so out of character for a faithful friend. Later in life, I discovered the sad truth that some people are only faithful when it is convenient or benefits them, which really means they are not faithful at all.
In Psalms and Proverbs there are 22 verses that describe both God’s unfailing love and His faithfulness. Love and faithfulness are connected. What good is love if you can’t count on it anytime or every time? What good is faithfulness without love? I suppose it is even possible for people to be faithfully bad or evil. At least you would know what to expect from them.
When we think of being faithful, the first thing that usually comes to mind is being faithful to our husband or wife. Keeping our promises and vows to our mate is an important example of being faithful, but there is more to it than that. Faithfulness means that we are consistent in our actions, even to the point of becoming predictable. Do you faithfully call elderly relatives and friends when it is very hot or very cold to make sure they are alright? Now that I am one of the elderly receiving those calls, I can tell you it is both an act of love and of faithfulness. God is faithful. He is always there when we need Him and when we are always there for friends and relatives when they need us, we will extend to them that same love and faithfulness we have received from God.
The Bible tells us again and again that God is faithful but you don’t have to be a child of God for very long at all to have experienced His love and faithfulness. It should be clear to us by now that those nine kinds of fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 are all attributes of God and not our human nature. So when we exhibit those qualities to those around us, we are exhibiting our family ties to our heavenly Father. It is God’s Holy Spirit within us displaying himself to a lost world through us. When we faithfully spend time in prayer, the study of God’s Word and in obedience to Him, that family resemblance will continue to grow stronger each and every day.