The obvious definition of faithful is “full of faith.” That includes keeping faith, being worthy of trust; honest; loyal; having steadfast adherence and undeviating allegiance. Another way of saying this is simply, doing what you said you would do; keeping your word. Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit so let’s look at some of the Scriptures that will help us understand faithfulness. We serve a faithful God, we are to have faith in Him, and He is the One who gives and sustains our faith, and He is the beginning and end of our faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

God is faithful.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 40:10 I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation.

Psalm 89:8 O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

Psalm 92:1-2 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night.

Psalm 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations.

Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt you, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Lamentations 3:23 Great is Your faithfulness.

We respond to God’s faithfulness by walking and living by faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Some attributes of faithfulness.

Proverbs 20:6 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?

Proverbs 11:13 A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

Luke 16:10-12 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

2 Peter 1:5-7 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

God rewards and preserves the faithful.

Matthew 25:23 Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

Revelation 2:10 Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Psalm 31:23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.

Faith is the Starting Point

To be faithful wives, we must first be faithful Christians. Before we can be faithful in our relationships, particularly to our husbands, we must trust God knowing He will keep His Word and His promises to us. A faithful wife trusts herself, her husband, and her children to God, knowing that He is sanctifying us all and He will finish the work He has begun.

Faithfulness looks for its duty in every situation. What has God given you and how can you be a good steward of this opportunity, affliction, circumstance, or situation? Faithfulness is loyal, steadfast, unwavering, trusting.

A Few Characteristics of the Faithful Wife

1. She keeps covenant with her husband long term. She is sexually faithful and mentally faithful. She is a one-man woman.

2. She shows mercy and extends long-term forgiveness to her husband.

3. She is verbally faithful and will conceal a matter when it is prudent to do so. She is not loose-lipped.

4. She walks through trials and afflictions by faith, trusting the Lord and encouraging her husband.

5. She looks for her duties in the big things and in the little things.

6. She looks to express her faith by pursuing virtue.

7. She does not waver and is faithful till death.

What kinds of things hinder faithfulness?

1. Unbelief. We forget our promises; we fail to look to God for the strength to fulfill our vows. We take our promises lightly.

2. Lack of loyalty. Some wives never really leave and cleave. They have taken their husband’s name, but have not identified wholly with him and with his people.

3. Caring too much about the wrong things, like other people’s opinions. Women can be lead into unfaithfulness by listening to the wrong things, whether it is other wives complaining about their husbands, or daydreaming about some knight in shining armor.

4. Not following his lead, not staying on the same page. Some wives do not like their husband’s style of leadership. They want to lead their husbands into a kind of feminine ideal of what male leadership looks like.

5. Being careless in the little things leads to unfaithfulness in the big things.God is pleased when we trust Him. When we are faithful over a little, our responsibilities expand. Faith is always the starting point, and a mustard-seed size faith does wonders. In a world that does not understand loyalty and fidelity, a faithful woman is hard to find.  

Solomon says this about the disloyal, unfaithful woman: And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her. (Ecclesiastes 7:26)