We’ve just returned from a holiday in Sydney, where we caught up with some dear friends from the church we left when we moved to Wellington to plant City on a Hill. It was wonderful to be reminded of the things we had asked them to pray for all those years ago. And even more encouraging was to see their joy as we shared what God has done in answer to those very prayers.
God has been very good to us as a family and as a church whānau.
But it got me thinking about the subtle difference between God’s goodness and his faithfulness.
God’s goodness and his faithfulness are not the same.
When God answers prayer, provides for our needs, or blesses us with unexpected joy, we rightly celebrate his goodness. His goodness is seen in his kindness, generosity, and compassion toward us.
But while we often equate God’s goodness with things “going well,” his faithfulness goes much deeper. It’s about his unchanging commitment to do everything he has promised, whether or not life feels good in the moment.
Faithfulness doesn’t mean that God will answer every prayer the way we pray it. When life feels easy and our prayers seem to be answered, we often speak of God’s “faithfulness” with gratitude. But the true test of our belief in his faithfulness comes when prayers remain unanswered and life presses us hard - like Paul in 2 Corinthians 4 where he feels like a fragile jar and he is being squeezed from every side. In those seasons, it can stressful and disorientating. Yet even then, God remains faithful.
He never promised to give us everything we desire; he promised something far greater:
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him”(Romans 8:28).
And he (not we) defines what is truly good. If we could see what he sees, we would trust him completely. We would rest content in his faithfulness.
God’s faithfulness isn’t partial.
He doesn’t show degrees of faithfulness being more faithful to one person and less to another. We can easily slip into that thinking when we compare our lives with others. Sometimes we can live as though God’s faithfulness is proven only when we receive the “good things” we want. But when we judge God by what he gives or withholds, we are questioning whether he can be both good and faithful.
But God’s faithfulness doesn’t exist only when we can feel it, or because life seems to prove it, but because his Word says he is. His faithfulness flows from his perfect, unchanging character - he cannot deny himself.
When you feel abandoned, the Bible says he is near. When guilt tells you that you’re unlovable, Scripture reminds you that Jesus came out of love and has washed you clean. When you fail or lose your sense of worth, God’s Word anchors your identity in Christ, not in your performance.
God’s goodness may be seen in the blessings he gives, but his faithfulness is seen in the fact that he always keeps his promises—especially when life is hard.
Grace and peace,
Andrew