But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
Ruth 1:16-17 (ESV)
I believe the definition of loyalty is lost in our society today. We now live in a “every person for themself” culture, where our first priority is seeking our own gain. I believe this is true in all areas of life. Business, relationships, marriage, and yes… church.
I challenge you right now to ask yourself this question. What is loyalty? What does it mean to be loyal? Look up a definition. How close were you? You may be thinking, “I’m a loyal person.” You may be wanting to close this web browser because you don’t think this word applies to you. Let me ask you another question. What if the people you feel loyal to today suddenly started making decisions you don’t agree with? Not sinful decisions. Not hurtful decisions. What if the people you feel loyal to just decided to start doing things differently? What if your boss changed up processes at your work and put you into an unnecessary learning curve? What if your spouse sat down and told you they wanted to do some things differently? What if your pastor changed up the direction of the church?
Now ask yourself this question. Are you loyal to these people, to these entities, or are you simply loyal to your PREFERENCES? Loyalty has nothing to do with your preferences or desires. Loyalty is about submission. Loyalty is being willing to allow your preferences to die.
Often, we are more committed to our preferences and our ideals than we are to leadership in our lives. We seek leadership that is in agreement with us so we can call ourselves loyal. That’s not loyalty at all. That’s selfishness. If this word is striking a rough nerve with you, please consider spending some time in prayer and studying the above text. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your true heart on this matter and seek correction where it may be needed.
We cannot claim to be loyal to God and refuse to be loyal to the leadership and relationships He’s put us in and under.