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As I sit here in my office I find myself thinking about the seemingly irrelevant items that we grab on to and allow to define us. These are the little goodies that become keepsakes to us. I don't know about you, but everything in my office has a significant meaning to me. I just want to share one of them with you and the random thoughts that surround it. They may not be deep, but they are "defining thoughts".
There is a 1968 Detroit Tigers felt pennant with a photo of that Championship team. (I have to mention that since the Tigers have won so few championships in the past 40 years.) My relationship with Jesus and my love affair with baseball and the Detroit Tigers began that year. Being a Tiger fan has been an interesting journey, mostly disappointing because they seem to only win one Championship every 20 or so years. (Which mean they are due again.) The Tigers become a significant symbol of one aspect of my character: Loyalty. It just may be one of my strongest attributes. I have friends from my childhood that are my closest friends today. I that as believers we should stand by family, friends, and leaders whether they succeed or fail it was the popular thing to do or not. The word says that Jesus is a friend that sticks closer that a brother, so sticking by people seems to be the least that we can do.
All to often we as believers have a defective loyalty gland. Of course we're loyal to Jesus. We're loyal to our Pastors as long as they don't expect us to give more that our fair share. After all 10% is enough! Loyalty? If I go to a Tigers game and the rates go up do I pay the price? Yes, and love every minute of the game. I'd pay it as a loyal fan and win or lose say nothing about it. Yet all I get out of it is 2-3 hours away from the pressures of life. The Tigers and live baseball games have been loyal to me as a getaway since I was five years old.
Jesus said "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". Of course he said this after being crucified, buried and resurrected. He is the one, the only one worthy of our loyalty. I have had times, many of them when the Tigers let me down. I hurt bad. Because of a silly baseball team, but I remain loyal to them.
Truth is my loyalty, all of it, belongs to the one to whom every knee will bow to: Jesus. Confession time: I haven't always felt his presence. In fact I have even "felt" abandoned and alone. I have felt as though I was on a trip with Him, but had no direction. It's not the truth! He is just as loyal to you today as he was the day of the crucifixion. There is no one more loyal to you than He is. He truly never leaves you: He gets loyalty. |
