Loyalty is a very hard thing to find in this day and age. How many people do you have in your life that you know are always going to be there for you? Whether it is people in your family or your friends? Sure, we can all think of a devoted friend or two, or even a few loyal friends that have always been there for us. Most of us would also say that our families have promised us loyalty until our dying breath. After all, that’s what family is-loyalty and unconditional love. But the thing about trust and loyalty is, that it can be broken in a second and take years to rebuild. Once you trust is broken with one person, it can be hard to trust anyone in your friend or family circle.

On one hand you may not trust someone if they lied to you or hurt you in any way. But on the other hand, if you’ve lied to  or hurt someone, they may never trust you again, or they may have trouble trusting you completely . Have you ever had that experience? It is never an easy thing to go through on either side of the spectrum. Having trust broken can make you ask why you ever wanted any of your friends in your life in your life and why you ever told them anything in the first place.
If there are loyal people in your life, do whatever you can to let them know how much you care for them and how much you love and appreciate them. It may be the only way they stay in your life. Some people though, are afraid of people that show too much loyalty. I never expected friends to walk away from me because I cared too much for them. But I assure you, it has happened more times than I can count. I’ve lost more friends than I’ve gained. But then, I looked back and asked God why He took those people away from my life and I realized the bigger picture. I realized that I deserved better and that all of us needed to mature.

We also needed space and time to go our separate ways in life. Just because certain people leave your life for unknown reasons, doesn’t mean that it’s all your fault. Don’t ever believe that lie. I, unfortunately, believed that lie for many years and it caused immense amounts of guilt. I eventually realized, I didn’t need to even carry that type of pain and guilt around in my heart. I eventually stopped blaming myself and moved on from the bitterness and horrid pain I caused myself by thinking, I caused some friendships to end. God helped me realize I was better off without those people. He also had me realize who the true ones were in my life. I now cherish those people even more than I did before.  God has been working through them in so many ways.
Don’t ever be afraid to tell someone that you are always there for them. That is one of the best things about being a loyal friend. To have someone say to you that they are there for you no matter what happens and to say that same thing back to them, is such a special honor and privilege. Take the time to figure out who is real and who the people are that are loyal to you in your life. When was the last time you told them that you are thankful for their presence in your life? Remember, there is never a wrong time to tell someone how much they mean to you because you never know when any of our last days on Earth will be. Only God knows that.
The best form of loyalty is the loyalty that God has shown each and every one of us as His children. There is no one greater who has shown us the true definition of love and true loyalty. He truly is the best definition of a loyal friend and He is also our Heavenly Father. Remember that song “What A Friend We Have in Jesus”? That song speaks so many truths. He sent His son to die for us on the cross so we could have the experience of having Him by our side and in our lives forever. All we had to do is ask Him to enter our lives and our hearts and our minds. He wants a relationship with everyone. He loves when we call on Him, no matter what we may be going through. He was there at all times with Jesus through His teaching and through His death on the cross. Look at the loyalty God has shown Jesus while He walked on Earth, and how loyal Jesus was to everyone by healing the sick, the blind, the mute, the deaf and the dumb.  How can we not be loyal to others in our lives? He is always there for us no matter what. We can follow His example by being there for others as well.  There is no greater loyalty than God to us as His beloved children.