by Jim Hughes
Prov. 3:3-4 Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with God and people, and you will gain a good reputation.
I have known those who are loyal and kind and those who aren’t. Those who are loyal and kind hold a very special place in my heart. I count it a privilege to know them and thank the Lord for bringing them into my life. I have friends like that who are both Christian and non-Christian. My life is very rich because of them. When I speak of them, I have nothing but endearment in my heart for them and I want nothing but the best for them. I want to treat them well because of my love for them.
I want to be that kind of a person as well. It is my prayer that others will know me to loyal and kind. It is not something that comes naturally for most of us. However, anyone can become that kind of a friend if they are willing to put forth the effort to do so. It all begins in the heart; the more we live in relationship with Christ, the more natural and easy it becomes.
Notice that it is possible to lose what we should have by nature. Loyalty and kindness can go away from us if we are not careful to protect and keep them. If we allow selfishness to rule our hearts, we will cease to be the kind of a person that others will cherish as a friend and that will please God.
In order for our nature to change, we must be committed to the process of change. We must deliberately seek to be loyal and kind. It may not come easy at first, but the more we do it the easier it becomes. It is within the character of every child of God; all we have to do is to let Christ rule the heart. We must diligently seek Him and strive to please Him. We must let the Lord transform us and wear the transformation like a necklace around our necks. Godliness must become the norm and not the exception in our lives.
He who is loyal and kind finds favor with both God and man. If you are struggling in this area of your life, ask the Lord right now to change you. You will be glad you did.
About the Author:
Spending his formative years in Ft. Wayne, IN, Jim followed the love of his life to southeast Iowa where they married and have spent the majority of their lives. Jim has pastored several churches throughout his life and has worked many years in local factories to help support his family. The father of two married adult children and one son still at home, Jim is a first-time author.
C Through Marriage came into being through many years of pastoral and life experiences. The book first took on a life of its own over 20 years ago when I sought to address the much publicized moral failures of prominent leaders in the church. In the chapter on Chasity, I include the guideliness that I developed then to protect one’s self from such failures.
I am a firm believer in order to make sense out of life you have to use much common sense. We need to get back to the basics of what has worked for many, many generations. If is isn’t broke, why try to fix it? I strive to return to the basics of what really works in all my writings.
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