Loyalty: A Broader View

Chuckle: Three friends were walking home from school. “What should we do this afternoon?” asked the first. “I know,” said the second, “let’s flip a coin. If it comes down heads, let’s go skating, and if it comes down tails, let’s go swimming.” “And if it comes down on its edge,” said the third, “let’s stay in and do our homework!”

Quote: “Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.” --Woodrow T. Wilson

“Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation” (Proverbs 3:3 NLT).

Last time we dealt primarily with loyalty between friends. Today, let’s take a much broader view of what it means to be loyal. I like these words, “Loyalty is a positive, wholehearted and outflowing devotion to something beyond your private self, bigger than you are.” --Harvey N. Davis

My closing statement last time was, “The selfish person is loyal only to self.” Today’s quote makes it clear that genuine loyalty involves absolute self-sacrifice. It requires the exact opposite of selfishness, and is unconditional devotion to something much bigger and more important to us than ourselves.

Living only for self is like heading into a blind alley that goes nowhere, and I believe it is impossible to find happiness and fulfillment if we live only to satisfy ourselves. On the other hand, living to serve God and for the betterment of other people, organizations or institutions will result in our own success, happiness, and fulfillment. From our definition of loyalty, how loyal are you? I think you would agree that the following deserve our complete loyalty:

1. Your God and church

2. Your family

3. The organization for which you work

4. Your community

5. Your country

Now back to the question: Do you believe each of these entities has been made stronger, better, finer and more resilient because of your unwavering loyalty and dedication? If you answered, yes, I believe you have come to understand the broader meaning of loyalty and have found the secret to genuine happiness. To help you and me in evaluating our own personal loyalty for these entities, I will list again some descriptive terms for loyalty: fidelity, faithfulness, allegiance, trustworthiness, constancy, integrity, sincerity, honor, commitment, honesty, dependability, duty, devotion.

Love, Jerry & Dotse