Loyal

Loyal

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:3

Loyal is defined as;

 - Faithful to an ideal, custom, person, cause or duty. 

Often times we think of being loyal in conjunction with honor, courage, service and strength.

When we say we are loyal we think of commitment, brotherhood or an unbreakable friendship or bond. 

Being loyal is a defining and honoring label.  It’s positive. Full of pride. Sought after. 

For years I became loyal to friends, family and work. I’m not talking about the loyalty that is associated with honor, dignity and respect. I’m talking about the loyalty that is associated with always saying yes, always doing, always being there and always giving my time. 

You see, I wasn’t loyal, all of my attributes were. 

What I had to give ended up being my loyalty. I was a friend. I was a hard worker. I was present for my family. And I lived for the things I had. 

I was loyal to a list, accomplishments, money, attention and my feelings. 

I had to stop feeling like I had anything to do with any of it and turn my life to living for God. Period. I had to set aside myself, my family, my friends and what I wanted - to be loyal to God. 

I actually remember telling my wife that I had to put God first and if it meant I was going to lose her - it is what I had to do. 

Spoiler alert. She’s still here. 

I live everyday to bring glory to God - this doesn’t mean that I bring glory to God every day. I’m being realistic here. I struggle. I’m impatient, sometimes short-fused and I’ll-tempered - but I’m nowhere near the person I was. 

My loyalty to God far exceeds my desire to live for myself. This isn’t how it used to be. So I’ll take that as a step in the right direction. 

I have shortcomings, but they aren’t exceedingly abundant anymore. I turn to God for everything. And when I forget, which is often, I turn to Him then. 

In actuality, it is God who is loyal to us. Me, I’m just the other side of that relationship. 

What or who are you loyal to??

Family?

Work?

Friends?

Teammates?

Yourself?

God?

If you can honestly answer that God is your greatest loyalty - you are living for Him. 

If anything else is, you are living for that thing/person. 

What or who are you living for?  Are you loyal to God above everything and everyone else?

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:3‬

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:11‬

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:13‬

“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:15