Faithfulness

Many a person proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy person?

Proverbs 20:6 points out a great sadness in human relationships. It is easier to say you'll be loyal than it is to be loyal.

Perhaps it's just me, but "faithfulness" and "online activity" seem to be contradictions. Many parts of the internet sustain and perhaps accelerate a transactional way of life. "I'm here as long as it benefits me."

We follow someone as long as they're interesting. We engage in conversations on our own terms.

But to be a reliable, committed person in our online interactions?

A few years ago, a Christian named David Robertson decided to regularly show up and participate in the discussion boards hosted at Richard Dawkins' website. Here's how Richard Morgan, who was an atheist at the time, described David's approach:

"He was always there. He always kept coming back. He remained within the dialog. He kept the communication open... regardless of the insults and abuse that he received, he kept coming back."

When Christians demonstrate faithfulness, it points others to see an ever-faithful God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Then he said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown."