What It Means to Be Loyal

 

Dogs are said to be the most loyal animals to humans, and it’s more common now than ever to have ‘man’s best friend’ as part of our households. A friend said to me that he believes more people are turning to dogs for companionship because human beings are so untrustworthy and nowhere near as loyal. At first, I thought it was a rather dim outlook on humanity, but given the divisiveness and hostility of the climate, I must admit that his statement might have some merit. Loyalty is a word that doesn’t get discussed much these days, and many people have forgotten that being loyal is part of the character of Christ. God tells us in Proverbs 3:3(NLT), “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”

Loyalty is a strong feeling of allegiance and support that we express through actions that demonstrate our commitment and dedication. Even though it often goes unspoken, we expect the people in our relationships to be loyal. We expect that they’ll stick by us and be in our corners no matter what life throws our way. We expect those that are loyal to us to look past our shortcomings, not hold grudges, and help us grow to be better people. This seems like a lot to ask of another individual, but it all boils down to how they value us and how we value them. A quality relationship demands that both individuals that are in it are loyal to the point of being faithful to one another. They will do whatever it takes to nurture the relationship as it continues to grow and develop. This is required for our relationships with one another, and we should never, ever attempt to give God any less. Our loyalty to other relationships must begin with the loyalty we demonstrate to God.

Our loyalty is never unrewarded, but the pay-off isn’t always immediate. There is an element of the passing of time that proves the strength of our loyalty. In this way, it is easy to see that loyalty is the foundation upon which commitment and dedication are built. Its why loyalty is so very important to possessing and building Godly character within ourselves, because we can’t be faithful without knowing how to be loyal.

It is common in today’s environment for people to abandon their relationships and friendships when they feel the other person has nothing more to offer them. This is drastic enough when it relates to two individuals that should be committed to one another in friendship or marriage, but when this attitude and behavior carries over into our relationship with God, the consequences are catastrophic. There are individuals that claimed they were committed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, but when their circumstances changed and life became more challenging, they left the faith and stopped following Christ all together. They may have considered themselves to be loyal, but the passing of time proved they were not.

Loyalty never ends when it is true. Heavenly Father’s example has shown us this. He is the purest, truest example of loyalty, and Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. He desires us to be like Him, because being like Him and loving others through Him is the glue that binds our lives together beautifully. An enduring loyalty is part of our new nature in Christ. Because of his sacrifice on the cross and resurrection, we have a new nature in him that makes us able to have a Christlike loyalty.

2Timothy 2:13(NLT) declares, “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.” God is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. We must keep reminding ourselves of this and pray to grow in our loyalty to Him and to others. Then we can please God even more, and we can have relationships with people that mirror the same loyalty that we give to them.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“What It Means to Be Loyal” written for Christian Encouragement and Inspiration© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.