On Facebook I recently read,
“Loyalty is a privilege, not a right. I don’t owe you… but I do
stuff because I care not because I have to. Some people forget that.”
Interestingly enough it was spoken by a ‘Minion’ and the purpose could be multiple reasons – probably humor, but maybe not. What it did for me was to allow me to reconsider ‘loyalty’.
How do you define it? Is it an undefined word that means you are loyal to… those you are loyal to? Webster says loyalty is, “the quality or state of being loyal”. Personally, I really dislike definitions that define a word by the word – it tells you nothing. So I looked up the root word. Again, Webster – “unswerving in allegiance: as faithful to one’s lawful sovereign or government, faithful to a private person to whom fidelity is due, faithful to a cause, ideal, custom institution or product” and, oh yes – showing loyalty.
However it was the descriptive word, faithful, that caught my eye and thinking. And again we need definitions. Because faithful, to me, does not mean blindness and unswerving obedience (unless it is to the Lord, but that’s a different subject). Quite honestly, I never believe we should leave common sense out of any equation and I categorically refuse to set my brain on the step before entering. Faithful is an extremely strong word and we really need to know how we define it.
Faithful, the underpinning of loyalty, means I have had sufficient experience with (whomever) that I know they are trustworthy. But people are fallible and don’t always choose the best so we can’t unilaterally accept everything without knowing what we believe. It may mean that I will give ‘them’ the benefit of the doubt if I personally don’t know (fill in the blank). But I will also be alert especially if I sense a check in my spirit. Being loyal means you are also looking out for the best interest of (whomever) as well. That’s why it is always a reasoned faithfulness.
According loyalty, which is what you really do, is a serious step and not to be extended lightly or rashly. I also would maintain that your loyalty is as much for the other person as it is to. This is why we need to be able to be honest as well as faithful. Truth should be our foundation not blanket approval.
