Characteristics of Faithfulness (Part 2)

God is looking for faithful leaders. One day you’ll be judged—not on how large your church is or how captivating your preaching is, but on how faithful you were with what God has given you.

Last week, I shared with you four characteristics by which God will one day judge your faithfulness:

1. You have the right values.
2. You care for the interests of others, not just your own.
3. You live a life of integrity before others. 
4. You keep your promises.

Here are four more characteristics that God will judge your faithfulness on.

5. You develop and use your spiritual gifts. God has made an investment in your life, and he expects you to do something with that investment. Peter wrote, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV).
   
   God expects you not only to use your own gifts, but to help others use theirs. These summer months we’re in right now are notorious for unfaithfulness. Everyone needs time for rest and refreshment, but faithfulness doesn’t take a season off from developing and using our spiritual gifts.
   
6. You manage your money well. The Bible is very clear that how you handle your money is a test of faithfulness. In fact, Jesus said, “If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, then who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11 NCV).
   
   Ask yourself:
   
   — Do I pay my bills on time?
   — Do I live within my budget?
   — Am I consistent in tithing?
   — How does my giving compare with my spending?
   — How does my spending compare with my saving?
   
7. You obey God’s commands. God defines faithfulness as obedience to his commands. In 1 Samuel 2:35, God says: “I will appoint a faithful priest to serve me. He will do everything I want him to do” (GW).
   
   Pastor, any time you’re encouraging your congregants to obey God’s Word—whether they’re memorizing Scripture, sharing their faith, caring for the vulnerable, or something else—you’re helping them store up treasures in heaven as a reward for their faithfulness.
   
8. You pass on to others what you learn. Faithfulness leads to multiplication. Paul gave a plan for faithful multiplication when he wrote, “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV). None of us would be here today if faithful men and women in the last 2,000 years of the church hadn’t taken the time to write down the Scriptures and pass them on to others.
   
   Whatever God has given you, he has called you to pass on to others. If he has given you a ministry, he wants you to be faithful with that. If he has given you financial resources, he wants you to be faithful with those.

A final exam awaits you in the future, where God will evaluate your faithfulness in managing what you’ve been entrusted with in this world. Faithfulness to God-given duties is what sets effective leaders apart. Look through these eight characteristics and ask yourself whether you’re leaving a legacy of faithful ministry.