Un-faithful

As I was thinking about my unfaithfulness to God, I was struck by the meaning of the term.  Unfaithful means "to not be faithful."  I realize you should never define a word by itself, but it is not the faithful part that I was contemplating, but the un part.

Unfaithful conjures thoughts of infidelity and bad behavior, but that is not the only connotation of the word.  Certainly, a prohibition of inappropriate behavior is contained within the concept.  My fascination is with the other obvious truth found within in the core of unfaithfulness.  Faithfulness demands not only a keeping from forbidden actions but the practice of faithful actions.  Un-faithful is not being faithful.

For many of us in the church, we stand upon our lack of infidelity as testimony to our faithfulness.  However, in the context of marriage, it is very possible to not commit adultery and still not remain faithful.  Where there are prohibitions within the context of relationships, there are also requirements.  Faithfulness is not measured strictly on the negative side of the scale.  Faithfulness demands restraint from the improper and the fulfillment of the proper. 

How faithful am I to the God I call Lord?  My scorecard may be free of punishable violations, but do I have any commendable service on the other side?  We should never commit acts of unfaithfulness, but we should never omit acts of faithfulness either.

"The man who has knowledge of how to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."  James 4:17 (Basic English Translation)

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died,
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.