Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Love Is Loyal


There are loyalty rewards programs in almost every business I go to.  My wallet is full of them, and when I go to pay and they ask “Do you have our card?”, it takes me a minute to find the correct one.  Businesses want our loyalty and they are willing to reward us for it.  

How does this work in our relationships? 

Loyalty can be hard to find. The word means “unswerving in allegiance”.  UNSWERVING?  That didn’t say ran off the road, it says that it never even swerves.  It stays straight.  I wonder how many relationships could be saved if all parties chose to stay straight and just decided not to swerve? 

When you find someone who is loyal to you, treasure it and nurture that relationship.  When you see loyalty in action, it’s always refreshing and inspiring. It might have been created through your birth/bloodlines, or it might have been earned by friends.  We choose to be loyal to people by our hearts and minds.

When you love someone, you are loyal to them.  I love God, so I am loyal to Him.  Even when He is allowing me to be in the desert for a while I am loyal to Him, because I love Him and I trust Him.  God never makes me question His loyalty.  His love is unconditional and endless.

I choose to be loyal to God and I show Him this by obeying Him.  That might not be my initial reaction.  Sometimes, I have to remind myself to obey first and to do what is right and honorable.  The Lord will bring about the heart change, if necessary, and honor my decision to follow His ways.

Jodi shares the following testimony of seeing loyalty in action:
Being a friend who loves at all times takes loyalty.  That is something the Lord has blessed me with greatly.  I have been blessed with loyalty through great trials.  When family and friends could not fathom our daily battle, they still gave endless support.  This support came without hesitation, judgment, or even understanding.  The result of that lifted my spirits, encouraged my walk, and caused me to give thanks knowing it was the Lord who gifted me with these relationships.  Once you experience this, hold tight and strive to do the same.  May we nurture these relationships and not take them for granted.”

Our greatest example of loyalty is that of Christ.  I hope, we as women, can always be loyal to those we love and have been entrusted to us.  Above all, may we be loyal to Him and our boldness in standing up for His truth.  The rewards are awesome!

Passages to Ponder:

Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.  Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live.  Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.  Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried.  May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us.

Proverbs 3:3- Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!  Tie them around your neck as a reminder.  Write them deep on your heart.

Hebrews 10:35- So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

Contributors:  Karen Bromby, Monica Brown, Jodi Dunbar, and Kim McClure

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