An Everyday Type of Faithfulness

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the kind of non-descript, in-betweenish kind of times. So go the ups and downs, the ebbs and flows of living life each day with your spouse. There are ecstatic, honeymoon type days. There are tragic and awful days. Every life, every marriage has both.

I have the immeasurable privilege of being Gina’s husband. I hope you feel the same about being your spouse’s spouse. But we can sometimes be led to believe that it should always be “the best of times.” And, if it’s not “the best of times,” it must be “the worst of times.” For every couple, though, most of life is lived in the in-between. Think about it.

Every figure throughout the course of history has lived most of their lives in the in-between. Abraham Lincoln, for example, spent most of his life in obscurity. Even when well known, he lived his life one day at a time. Though Lincoln certainly had “the best of times” and “the worst of times,” he still lived more in the monotony than in the extraordinary.

Jacob’s son, Joseph, had “the worst of times” worse than I’ll ever know. Being Pharoah’s second in command could be numbered among “the best of times.” However, 33 years or so in the making means that most of his life has not been written about. For Joseph, those were “the kind of non-descript, in-betweenish kind of times.”

And so, when neither adrenaline nor despair commands our heart, where do we turn in the routine of the everyday? We turn to faithfulness.

God thinks very highly of faithfulness. A quick look at Proverbs will prove this out:

- Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 3:3)

- Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight. (Proverbs 12:22)

- A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 28:20)

Faithfulness is what gets you through the non-descript, in-betweenish kind of times. It is also what allows you to enjoy the best of times without being carried away with self-reliance and endure the worst of times without losing yourself in self-centered misery.

And here is the beauty of gospel-centered faith. When it is characterized by faithfulness, it will be an experience in great and eternal joy. A joy comes in the now when we think of the words that await us in heaven.

“ 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' ”(Matthew 25:21)

Relish “the best of times.” Be encouraged in “the worst of times.” Be faithful in “the kind of non-descript, in-betweenish kind of times.” And look forward to entering into the joy of your master.