Thought for Saturday, January 7th

January 7, 2012

Being Loyal

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Ruth 1:16-17

Quote of the Day

“I’m now aware of how brief life is and how you have to mark every day and make it matter – not just the best moments; they come, and they are gone. I have to live it whole. It’s finally about friendship and loyalty and treating people right.”

-          George Clooney

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

 

What does it mean to be loyal?  Being loyal according to Webster’s Dictionary is: “being faithful to those persons, ideals, etc. that one stands under an obligation to defend or support.”

Loyalty simply put is being there, caring for, defending and loving no matter what.

This is indicative of God’s commitment to us.  No matter what we have done or are doing: He still loves us and desires to have a close relationship with us.  God’s devotion and loyalty to us is not contingent on our perfection or even our worthiness to be among his friends or family: rather it is based on an unwavering, unconditional selfless love that caused Him to give His only Son for us: and which enables Him to forgive us, regardless of what we have done.

I often wonder if we are as loyal to Him as He is to us?  And then I wonder if we are as loyal to each other as He desires for us to be?

Real loyalty requires us to accept each other’s foibles, faults, failures and weaknesses as well as strengths and desirable qualities.  This is of course easy to do with God because He is perfect; yet often we fail to defend Him and we are not willing to stand for His word and His will in the face of challenges or adversity.  And of course it is even harder to be loyal to our brothers and sister in the faith because we know how imperfect we all are.

We need to encourage, support, defend and cherish each other and in a way doing these things and being loyal to one another is, in effect, being loyal to God.  Of course the ultimate in loyalty according to scripture is this:  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” – The Bible (John 15:13)  

Do we have that degree of loyalty towards each other?  And greater still, the question is, do we have that degree of loyalty towards God? 

Today’s Prayer

Father, may all glory, praise and worship be yours because you are so worthy.  Forgive me when I put restraints and limitations on my loyalty to you and others.  Help me to be as loyal as You are.

“The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away.”

-          Wilson Mizner

“Let my Lifesong sing to You”

- from ‘Lifesong’ by Casting Crowns