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Snapshot of a Faithful Man

bronner snapshot150A Call to ARMS Men's Conference Speaker Highlight

//Bishop Dale C. Bronner

"And 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)

In Second Timothy, Paul instructed Timothy to give to faithful men the things that he had given him. It is interesting to note that he did not say for Timothy to give those things to men of great ability

Paul knew that it's much easier to take a faithful man and make him able than it is to take an able man and make him faithful!

So what exactly is a faithful man? I believe faithfulness is revealed in three dimensions:
1. Loyalty
2. Submission
3. Constancy

Let's talk about loyalty first. Some people think faithfulness and loyalty are the same. But they're not. For example, an employee may come to work every morning promptly at 8:00 a.m. That's faithfulness. But if that employee goes into an office and steals supplies, he's not being loyal. A loyal person would never steal from his employer.

See, loyalty doesn't mean we always agree. But it does mean we share a common ideal—an ideal we're both working toward. Loyalty is a dimension of a truly faithful person! And oftentimes the favor of God comes upon our lives when we are faithful in unseen places.

Secondly, faithful men are also submitted men. To be trusted in authority, one must be submitted to authority. Submission is really about coming under a common mission. Think about the military. Every man in the platoon understands he is there to fulfill the mission of those in authority over him. Individual desires yield to the corporate mission. And there is power in the unity that submission produces.

I do want to point out that there is a difference between submission and obedience. Obedience always produces action. Submission refers to a person's attitude and spirit. That means it is possible for a person to be obedient in action but rebellious in attitude and spirit. A truly faithful man does not just obey; he willingly submits to those in authority over him so that the mission can be accomplished.

The final dimension of a faithful man is constancy. The constancy of our attitude, words, and actions gives security and stability to those around us. Trust is built because of constancy. The more predictable a man is because of constancy, the more stable and trustworthy his character is.

When was the last time you stopped to evaluate yourself in these three areas? How loyal are you? How submitted are you to those in authority over you? And how constant are you with your words and actions?

It's so important to be faithful. Paul wanted Timothy to teach what he had learned to other faithful men who, in turn, would find other faithful men to teach. We are taught to teach. We are fed to feed. We are given to, to give. We are comforted to comfort. We are led to lead. We are blessed to bless! Have you found other faithful men to teach what has been taught to you? It is time to get busy reaching and teaching other faithful men!