What does faithfulness look like in your work? Showing up on-time each day? Completing given tasks to the best of your ability? Taking time to help or speak to a child on his or her level? Supporting a coworker as she implements a new teaching or management strategy? Being a faithful employee (or friend or spouse or parent) is important.

In fact, God calls us to be faithful. Not merely in our work, but in how we live our lives for him. “Be faithful, even to the point of death.” God is calling us to trust him, to rely on him, throughout our life and one day, as we face death. As we serve those around us, we can confidently cling to his promises to be with us, to fight for us, to provide for us, and to equip us for the work we do.

Sometimes, that seems easy. Things are going well. Students and families are happy. You’ve got a balance between work and home. You’re taking time to be in God’s Word. But, other times, we get off-track. We’re disappointed. We’re unhealthy. We’re exhausted. We complain and worry and act selfishly. We lose sight of who we are and what God calls us to do. We fail to find our purpose and identity in him, and we’re anything but faithful servants.

Thank goodness, we have and serve a perfectly faithful and steadfast God. His faithfulness doesn’t depend on our actions or on our faithfulness. He doesn’t only remain faithful to us if we meet a certain benchmark or do a “good enough” job. Knowing we would struggle and fail, God still sent his Son, Jesus, to give up his life on our behalf. In Jesus, every sin of unfaithfulness and misplaced priorities is forgiven. In Jesus, we are free to joyfully – and yes, faithfully – serve God and those around us.

And there’s more. God promises, “I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” In Jesus, this reward is a sure thing. He has already won against sin and the devil so we can be certain of eternal life. This isn’t a reward we need to earn; this is a free gift from our loving, faithful God.

So, while we wait for his return, let’s remain faithful servants. Let’s trust God and his goodness, in good times and bad. Let’s encourage each other to remain steadfast to the work he has called us to do. Let’s model God’s love, that others may come to know him, too. Let’s live in hope, knowing our eternal future is secure.