Loyal to its Length

Loyal to its Length
A bad dream woke me up today. The details got me thinking deeply. It connects with a scenerio a pastor friend on facebook posted yesterday about the altercation between Jesus and His beloved Peter. Get thee behind me Satan, He had said to Peter, for you do not savour the things of God but of men. The pastor had written concerning the 'good' advices of loved ones against the difficult obedience we have to live by towards God. Jesus was to go to the cross it was hard enough for the followers not to talk of the untimely, shameful and painful death their beloved Master would go through, it's a matter that would draw an exclamation of 'God forbid' from a heart of love. There are so many things to deduct and deduce from that incident.  But my dream this morning got me thinking about loyalty. Loyalty, being true to a course, cause or a belief system by a deep conviction that won't hesitate to draw extreme and ultimate sacrificial commitment from the loyal. Loyalty is the ultimate level of nobility and character. The soldier who dealt the death blow to King Saul had to kill himself not that suicide is good but the character of loyalty to the throne of Saul was commendable. It takes loyalty for Jesus to insist on going to the cross when He knew the best of His friends weren't down with the idea. In fact nobody would have been, would His mother or Joseph have agreed? Would His brothers had agreed to such a death? Would those close hearers had consented? No one would have. But a sense of commitment and loyalty to the cause that brought Him to the world had held Him from succumbing to the silent emotional pleas. I learn a lesson from here. Simply put I must remain loyal. Loyal to the cause and to the purpose of God for my life at all cost irrespective of whoever is emotionally incapable of agreeing. I must remain loyal to the covenants I had appended my signature within God's attention. I must stay true to the relationships God has brought into my life. I must be loyal to the principles God has revealed to me. The principle of love toward men and of faith towards God. I must remain loyal to the family God has put me in, I must remain loyal to the people looking up to me as a light from God. I must remain loyal to those who have been good and loyal to me. Yes, I must, even when it looks unwise and I hear the voices saying No. Loyalty to covenants is the true test of character, that I have learnt. Yes, no human law demands that of me and daily people betray trust and cast off covenants as if they are nothing yet their path I have chosen not to take, I have determined to stay true to commitments within the bounds of the will of God.
I realise that it is easier said than done and sometimes it takes ruthlessness to wade off highly impressive and convincing voices of discouragement such as calling Peter Satan yet it has to be done to preserve life. It takes a fight to remain loyal in the face of challenges that draws otherwise. Why would Jesus become so harsh on Peter? Of course, He didn't speak to Peter but to Satan who had taken over Peter's mentality momentarily to deliver a discouraging message. It's better to let go of Satan than to lose Peter and the ultimate reason. I must be ruthless to remain loyal. It's easy to fake loyalty to maintain a position. When loyalty does not cost me anything it's not a genuine one, it is the fake type and I must not be caught betraying divine principles. When I betray my wife I betray love and the covenant of marriage just like if I betray my husband as a woman.   If I betray my parent or my children I betray the principle of responsibility, if I betray those who were good to me I betray the principle of goodness and the consequences are dire. Men cast off loyalty for money, positions and other selfish gratifications, these are base men and their shame will never end. Friendship is a covenant which must not be betrayed, when it comes to an end because such is possible keep up loyalty if it was ever true. I heard of the man who poured acid on a past lover yet such would have had some benefits from her when the goings were good such is a base man. Men of no character, crass men. When we become disloyal to those God has put around us we betray God same as when we become disloyal when we betray His principles. A disloyal acquaintance is an enemy in disguise. He is a door for the enemy an inroad for the wicked, I shall not be described as such. I will check if I am truly in love before Christ would ask if I do like he asked Peter. Am I in love with Jesus? Do I believe in the cause and the message He brought? I must count the cost of loyalty and discipleship, will I deny Him at the face of trounle and threats?  Will I follow Judas to give the kiss of death? Loyalty is never written on the face but I know what I do in secret and I know if I am loyal or not. People may see me so and I may not but the accolades I falsely acquire without earning are not strong enough to keep away the  repercussions of disloyalty and the shame of a betrayal, even the gratifications can never be strong enough to stop the death attached.
I must also recognize loyalty and reciprocate loyalty with loyalty. Error tells us we don't have to be loyal to subordinates and those who serve us are those who need the classes in loyalty. It isn't true. Jesus promised honor to those who served Him and would not betray them. Loyalty is a character when you have it to those above, you can't but have it for those below except if the one for those above is a child of falsehood and scheme and not of inborn characteristics. When a leader cannot recognise and appreciate loyalty and return loyalty with loyalty, he loses loyal men and enthrone betrayals to his own hurts and pains. Many broken hearts will he have from men with mouths dripping with blood who will ride on his back to build personal empires.
What virtue will I compare with lotalty? It is love at it's very best no challenge can take the loyal, eloquence can not dissuade him, he is steadfast, immovable abounding in the cause as his own and such works can never be in vain. I must stay true to convictions and remain loyal beyond words. What do I do with disloyalty? How do I treat the kisses of death? If my purpose is not to die for the world then I must avoid the unstable and the unconvinced and shut the doors against the deadly enemy. Jesus exposed Judas and spoke to him openly both at the dinner and the garden meaning I must let the disloyal know that he isn't covered but that, when I am sure he is truly so and grace will not cover base men. Suspicion is not enough sometimes it's hard to tell between the two. Who will go for me? As in the parable of the two sons, one said I will, he didn't the other said I won't but went, Jesus asked, who did the will of the father? It is hard to tell the noble from the base, since evryone looks noble on the surface but when the cover is blown there is no more need to be quiet. My friend, do you betray the son of man with a kiss? Or one among you will betray me, and the questions began, master is it me and when it got to the man He said, thou sayest and gave him the morsel of conviction. Tell it, don't hide the disloyal and quench the fire before the bomb explodes and save a life. I will remain loyal to the cause and the course and I shall not betray the covenants of my friends and my family I wil remain  true. True to God and true to you. Good morning.
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