Loyalty is like common sense: it’s not so common anymore. It is a precious commodity. It is rarely seen and, thus, valued when and where it is found.
Athletes jump from team to team. Employees jump from job to job. People move from city to city. It’s hard anymore to find loyal fans, workers, or citizens.
It’s even becoming difficult to find Christians who are loyal to their church. In an age of consumerism, the church itself has become just another marketable product that people will quickly leave if they aren’t entertained or if they don’t have every one of their personal needs or preferences met.
And when churches or organizations try to be faithfully creative or inspiring, they meet resistance and threats. It’s so easy to pick up the marbles and go home….or to another church.
Today you have the chance to be loyal. Demonstrate your loyalty by:
- Complimenting your boss or co-worker publicly;
- Going the extra mile even when it’s unexpected;
- Saying good things (about your job, organization, or church) to friends, family, and neighbors;
- Encouraging others to be faithful and loyal;
- Using every opportunity to vocally show support;
- Surprising others with compliments, gifts, or concrete encouragement.
Your demonstration of loyalty will go a long way toward encouraging loyalty in others. Members of one of my former congregations demonstrated their loyalty one snowy Sunday when no one could get to church except those who walked. That morning we had eight loyal people in attendance for worship, all of whom trudged through the snow. Word spread, and their loyalty had a positive impact on others.
Thankfully, it’s only human beings who are fickle. The most loyal, dependable, trustworthy, devoted, reliable constant in life is God. He made sure to send His Son for us, who was loyal to the Father even to the point of death. Nothing or nobody could distract His perfect loyalty.
Please share an example of loyalty or another way loyalty can be demonstrated with a comment below.
While it was just a passing comment in your post, I particularly like the statement about churches being "faithfully creative or inspiring." We frequently need to be reminded that any innovation in which we engage must be rooted in, and flow from, our relationship with God.