LOYALTY TO GOD OR OURSELVES?
When I was in seminary, I had some conversations with some fellow students, with a good mentor and friend Ron Mabry, with a Dr. Stafford and the credentialing team in Indiana. Through these interactions God was speaking to me and asking me where my loyalties to lie? Is it to the Church of God? Do I really believe in the calling and mission of our group? If not, then I had better find a better one.
But I do. I don’t agree with some things within our human organization, but I certainly agree with the ideals and principles. I am convinced by God that what we stand for and what we are called to be as a body are much bigger and grander than anything that any of us could do on our own. I believe that our role as the Church of God is hugely important. And I believe that we are important to God.
I believe we have a huge potential in this congregation as part of God’s Church. We need to look beyond ourselves and see that we each have an essential part to play in what God is doing. We need to "see the church" as the old timers used to say. See what God is doing. See the power that is evident if we have eyes to see. We need to buy into this thing that God is doing and give our whole heart and lives to it. Loyalty to something bigger than ourselves. Unfortunately many times we are loyal to those things and ways of doing things that sometimes really reflect more of a loyalty to ourselves rather than God.