December 18

‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.’ – Romans 8:28

   We are called to be loyal to God at all times. This seems like a simple standard, but in practice is not so simple to maintain. Being loyal means that we understand that God engineers our circumstances. We must trust Him to do so. We should take advantage of the circumstances He makes available to us and recognize when we are engineering our own circumstances outside of His will. Taking matters into our own hands, in this sense, shows a loyalty to Man and not God.

   We must accept the circumstances that we are given. We should not be quick to dethrone God for unfavorable circumstances. In each circumstance is found God’s will, even if it is impossible to discern at that moment. We should accept with grace those circumstances which God is given us and in so doing, attempt to see what value or opportunity for growth can be gleaned from it.

   Being loyal to God also means that we must remember our place in God’s order. God is not here to serve us, we are here to serve God. God is loyal to us, as a king is to His subjects. We are called to reciprocate this relationship with our trust and work in His name. Remember to ask not what god can do for you, but what you can do for God.

   A distinction should be made between serving God and working for Him. We do not work for Him, because without Him our work would be in vain. Rather we serve God. In our loyalty, God does His work through us. We are vessels for God’s good works and as such are called to do His work without explanation or complaint.