“So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:11, 12)  

He lived in the United Kingdom for about thirty years and never visited his country. As one of the chosen intelligent young men on the then Gold Coast, the government awarded him the prestigious Colonial Government Scholarship to study at Oxford University. After his doctorate, he gained a lectureship position there, an enviable position for a rural African boy who trekked barefooted for four miles daily from his village to attend school in the nearest town. Ghana gained independence in 1957, and Professor Ayiku returned to support the new republic. He had sent money home for his nephew to build for him, so he returned assured of his own house. Kofi Adusah, his nephew, sent periodic reports with photographs, which made him proud before his British wife.

Prof. Ayiku and his family left London for Accra with pride and great anticipation. Adusah welcomed him to the airport and drove the old Professor to a house he presumed to be his own but was Adusah’s. Some last-minute decorative works were ongoing, and soon his uncle will see his house. In the meantime, he took the Professor to their village for some days. Back in Accra, Adusah took him to his building. The aging Professor almost fainted. The building his nephew led him to was just beyond the foundation stage.

Here is your building, Uncle! Ayiku said.

Who said men do not cry?

The scenes of this movie are fresh in my mind since childhood. It is a story many of us can relate to. It happens all the time when somebody acts to gain the trust of another and then disappoints them in the end.

That’s unfaithfulness. It abounds in marriages, business partnerships, friendships, workplaces, and, unfortunately, in the church. It has become a game people play, which has made it difficult to trust people anymore.

However, without faithfulness, a relationship cannot thrive. It is that which makes a relationship strong or otherwise; for every relationship begs the question, can I trust you? If we cannot be faithful to one another and the cause of our relationship, we have nothing to hold on to.

But there is news to gladden our hearts. Even though man may be unfaithful, God is not. He is forever faithful (Psalm 117:2). It is His very nature He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13). His immutability ensures that when He relates to us (Mal. 3:6). It is His character that makes Him dependable. Therefore, God expects us to be faithful when we come to Him through Christ Jesus (Lk. 16:10-12). To help us in our weakness, He has given us His Holy Spirit, who bears this fruit in us when we yield to Him (Gal. 5:22-25). The benefit for us is favor and a good name in the sight of God and man (Prov. 3:3, 4).

Maybe you are wondering why nobody trusts you with anything; or why God does not give you any responsibility that comes with promotion (Lk. 16: 11, 12). You may have to check your faithfulness barometer for your answer. The Holy Spirit awaits your call if you fall short of His expectation.