Being Faithful

In the last book of the Bible we find this promise: "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life."

Columnist John R. Gunn writes, "I'm glad the text doesn't read "be thou brilliant or be thou eloquent or be thou successful." I'm glad it does not say, "be thou a great preacher or a great writer or be thou a great statesman." If it said any of these things, most of us could never hope to attain the crown of life which it promises.

All that God wants of us is faithfulness not brilliance, not eloquence, not success, not eminence, not notoriety which attracts newspaper notice, but the quiet regular faithful performance of duty each in our appointed places. That is the virtue that attracts the eye of God. That is the virtue he promises to reward with the crown of life.

God crowns men for being faithful, not for being great. Not many of us are endowed with brilliant intellect. Not many of us can hope to achieve high position and renown. We cannot all be men of affairs. Most of us belong to the rank and file and will never attract much of the world's attention, but however small the place we fill we can be faithful.

The man the world acclaims is not always the one God acclaims. God says, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much." To be faithful in that which is least will win as rich a reward as faithfulness in the greatest.

There is something better than being famous and brilliant. That something better is faithfulness. Not genius, not fame, but faithfulness in the tasks God gives you is the crowning glory of life.

Let us close with this promise from the book of Revelations: "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life."