This is a Test... Loyalty

If Humility means to stay low – Loyalty means to stay faithful. Loyalty is the second area of testing. You can not fulfill your destiny in Christ alone. Your destiny is intrinsically linked to those who have gone before you, those around you now and those who will come after you.

All of us, we are part of something vastly bigger than ourselves. Hebrews 11:39- 12:1 say it so very well…

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Our destinies are linked to theirs, this great cloud of witnesses. Like a grand cosmic relay race the baton has been passed to us and we will pass it on to the next generation, only together will we be made perfect. May we run our leg of the race to win!

Truly we are one body with many parts (1 Corinthians 12). The eye needs the foot who needs the hand. The evangelist needs the pastor who needs the prophet. God designed it just that way – we NEED one another. We can not do it alone. Medical science has a name for radical cells that do not work in cooperation with the rest of the body – they’re called cancer.

God is searching for people with loyal hearts… “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV)

God himself is loyal; it’s one of his finest attributes. He promised (or is it a threat?) that he will never leave us or forsake us -Hebrews 13:5. God is faithful even when we aren’t. “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

To be a good leader - you need to be a good follower. To be a good follower you need to be loyal. Loyalty is all about relationships and that’s exactly where loyalty will be tested - your relationships… with God, your spouse, friends, coworkers, employer, pastor or leader.

Loyalty is tested in the hard times not in the good times, hey, let’s be honest… it’s easy to be loyal when everything is going well. Loyalty is tested when you’ve been offended or wounded or betrayed. Loyalty is tested when a stronghold is exposed… your’s or the other person’s.

Loyalty is tested when you have the opportunity to be disloyal. Will I stick the knife in their exposed back? Will I cover them or uncover them?

Loyalty is tested when your leader is going through trials. He’s making mistakes and you don’t know why. Could it be that your leader’s in the dark night of the soul and is being crushed by Gods formative process? Maybe they need your loyalty more now than ever?

The Church has a great future; to get there we need to be one. Father, answer Jesus’ prayer, amen.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21

My next post will address the test of Longevity.

© Tom Zawacki 2007