Loyalty in Relationships

Proverbs 18:24 NIV - "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Keep Reading...

God is loyal to you. He promises never to leave you and never to disown you. He stands by your side in the good times and the bad. God is also loyal to himself. Jesus states, "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only" (Luke 4:8 NIV). Loyalty is a hallmark of God's way of relating. And he wants us to be loyal to him and those around us.

The loyal friend does not assume the worst about a person. If there is ever a breakdown of relationship (even very small), the loyal friend goes directly to the person to sort things out (Matt. 5:23-24). The choice never to gossip shows great loyalty to the character of God and to the friends around us. When we have been hurt, the common reaction is to distance ourselves from the offender. Jesus tells us, however, to go to the offender and speak to that person about the offense (Matt. 18:15). This shows our loyalty to God's ways and to those created in his image.

Issues of loyalty go back to our relationship with God. When your friend is disloyal to God, who do you align yourself with? When you friend is disloyal to the leader that God has called into your life, who do you align yourself with? Loyalty should not be based on personal attraction or on who is nice to you. It is first and foremost based on God's character and who he has called you to. Remember, even when we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself (2 Tim. 2:13). You can persevere with people, because he has persevered with you.