Pursue Loyalty

Pursue Loyalty

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life” (Proverbs 21:21 NASB).

TODAY’S WORD

Have you ever noticed that righteousness and loyalty go together? In other words, if we’re not being loyal—to our family, friends, country, job—then we aren’t going to experience God’s best. Loyal people are honorable people. When you’re loyal, you stick with someone through thick and thin. When you’re loyal, you keep your word to people. Loyal people are respectful of their country and leaders. Loyal people honor their parents and defend their family. When you’re loyal, you are a person of integrity. You build trust with others.

Is this an area where you can rise higher? Can you be more loyal? Are you faithful in the things you’re committed to? Don’t let the distractions of everyday life keep you from pursuing loyalty. Look for ways to show your loyalty to those around you. Is there something you can set aside for the sake of a loved one? Show that love by staying loyal. As you pursue loyalty and righteousness, just as this verse promises—you will find that abundant life the Lord has planned for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of life in Your Word. Show me any area where I can rise up higher in pursuing loyalty. Help me, by Your Spirit, to be more faithful and supportive to those around me. Let Your light shine through me as I pursue righteousness and loyalty today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

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We Are Commanded to Serve God

byRick Warren

"Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life." (Matthew 20:28 LB)

We are commanded to serve God. Jesus was unmistakable: “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life” (Matthew 20:28 LB).

For Christians, service is not something to be tacked onto our schedules if we can spare the time. It is the heart of the Christian life. Jesus came “to serve” and “to give” — and those two verbs should define your life on Earth, too. Serving and giving sum up God’s fourth purpose for your life. Mother Teresa once said, “Holy living consists in doing God’s work with a smile.”

Jesus taught that spiritual maturity is never an end in itself. Maturity is for ministry! We grow up in order to give out. It is not enough to keep learning more and more. We must act on what we know and practice what we claim to believe. Impression without expression causes depression. Study without service leads to spiritual stagnation.

The old comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is still true. Galilee is a sea full of life, because it takes in water but also gives it out. In contrast, nothing lives in the Dead Sea because, with no outflow, the sea has stagnated.

The last thing many believers need is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need are serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles.

Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we’re more interested in “serve us” than service. We say, “I’m looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me,” not “I’m looking for a place to serve and be a blessing.” We expect others to serve us, not vice versa.

But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, “Who’s going to meet my needs?” and starts asking, “Whose needs can I meet?”

Talk About It

• How have you been growing in spiritual maturity?

• In what ways have you demonstrated your growth by serving?