Blackwater
05-12-2017, 03:16 PM
"Loyalty" is a condition that's really hard to define. On the surface, it's pretty easy, but .... when you get past the surface and down into the reality of it, it gets VERY complex, and sometimes seems to be "contradictory." This puzzles us, and so, we often just walk away and take the "easy answers." Last Saturday, we had my 50th year high school class reunion, and I marveled at what a good group of folks I grew up with. We spend a lot of time, especially in our teen years that are so crucial to our development as the people we will become, with these people than we do with our church families, our families, or other "good influences" we have in our lives. And it was very humbling to finally recognize more fully, just what a great group of folks I grew up with.
Similarly, I have a number of friends who do not take their faith nearly as seriously as I have tended to, and have finally come to take this matter. It's taken me a very long time to understand, at least to a better and larger degree, the "contradictions" that we often face in this life and in this world. Many do things that I won't do. This "tradition" seems to be a family trait. My eldest grandson recently refused to go with some of his friends to a get together where he knew there'd be drinking and who knows what all else. Those who went almost all got arrested for underage drinking. Thus, my grandson, due only to his good decision, avoided a "criminal record."
I HAVE, on the other hand, shared my faith and concerns with these friends for many years now, when the timing was right. I never put them down for what they did, or their choices. Heaven knows! I came by much of what I am now from experiences on the "other side" of the issues! So it would have been VERY self-righteous and hypocritical to criticize or ostrasize them for doing things that I once did! And that's had its effect. It's been slow in coming with some, but .... after a time, it seems it was worth it, and has made a positive difference.
Today, most of us expect immediate gratification for our efforts, or we regard our efforts as "failures." This is a big mistake, I think! Constant demonstration of a "better way" simply HAS to get through, even to those disinclined at any given time, to even those who love revelry and various forms of moderate dissipation. And few have ever thanked me for what I've tried to do through the years, though a few have noted the more positive influence I've tried to have in their lives.
I CANNOT claim to have been "perfect," or even close to it by ANY means! But I always tried to be at least thoughtful and calculating in what I figured I MIGHT be able to get away with. That entitles me to NO kudos! And they haven't been forthcoming very often, and when I've received any, I've always thrown it all back on them and THEIR decisions and thoughts and sentiments, and NOT mine! If I took credit if someone did something good, then by rights, I'd have to take credit for their messups, and THAT is something I will NEVER be willing to do. We ALL make our own decisions in this life, and none of us gets them all right. But we always have to try, lest we really, really, really err and pay for it dearly, even maybe sometimes with our lives.
But loyalty to those we value and who've meant something to us along the way CAN really pay off, even if it takes a long time in coming. So folks, as Christians, let us recognize that Christ was loyal to US, when we were in our sins. How can we thus follow His wondrous lead and NOT do the same for those around us? I think loyalty is a trait that is very highly under-rated in these days of PC theology's dominance, and it's "do it if it feels good" philosophy, and tendency to always recommend taking "the easy way out," and its recommendation for contrived, pat, "easy" answers to everything. We're living in a "pre-packaged" world, where everything is all laid out for us to follow. Only those who break away, and strive independently to find their OWN answers, can really come to a full appreciation of who and what God really is, how He works in our day and time and in our lives, and how crucial we are to those we know most intimately.
So if loyalty is a waning concept in our world, and does not get the kind of appreciation or consideration it rightfully deserves, then .... how can we expect our world to NOT keep going downhill? PC theology, with all its exclusions for traditional concepts of "good and evil," seems to me to be the most heavy burden a nation like we once were could possibly have to bear, and defy. But defiance is the mark of those original Christians, who defied so much and at such terrible risk, and it continues to be very difficult for us to bring ourselves to practice to this day. But it's always part and parcel of the acceptance of the inestimable benefit of Salvation. We can't truly accept Salvation without taking up the traditional "crosses" that all the Christians before us bore so diligently in getting us to this point. And our progeny will not long get to inherit a decent world from us UNLESS we DO take up those old "crosses" the original and subsequent generations of Christians bore for OUR benefit! And loyalty is one of those traits that we sometimes hate having to practice, but it ALWAYS brings benefits, IF we simply don't shirk our duties to those around us who we know most intimately.
It's always been like that, even though PC theology would deny that. PC theology, in the end, boils down to "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." And any people that have ever swallowed THAT bitter pill have .... well, they've disapperard from the earth, and only their writings and philosophies remain, to take down any who subsequently adopt their precepts.
I don't see how any real, mature Christian gets through life without being VERY "independent" in their thinking and actions! And loyalty to long time friends is one of the measures of that simple trait, IMO. Thus, it's more important and crucial to our world than any of us probably realize. This is my view, and it's based on Christ's loyalty to US, even when we were in our sins, or while we were developing into the men and women we were to become. I think we need to take it more seriously, and practice it much more often today. FWIW?
Similarly, I have a number of friends who do not take their faith nearly as seriously as I have tended to, and have finally come to take this matter. It's taken me a very long time to understand, at least to a better and larger degree, the "contradictions" that we often face in this life and in this world. Many do things that I won't do. This "tradition" seems to be a family trait. My eldest grandson recently refused to go with some of his friends to a get together where he knew there'd be drinking and who knows what all else. Those who went almost all got arrested for underage drinking. Thus, my grandson, due only to his good decision, avoided a "criminal record."
I HAVE, on the other hand, shared my faith and concerns with these friends for many years now, when the timing was right. I never put them down for what they did, or their choices. Heaven knows! I came by much of what I am now from experiences on the "other side" of the issues! So it would have been VERY self-righteous and hypocritical to criticize or ostrasize them for doing things that I once did! And that's had its effect. It's been slow in coming with some, but .... after a time, it seems it was worth it, and has made a positive difference.
Today, most of us expect immediate gratification for our efforts, or we regard our efforts as "failures." This is a big mistake, I think! Constant demonstration of a "better way" simply HAS to get through, even to those disinclined at any given time, to even those who love revelry and various forms of moderate dissipation. And few have ever thanked me for what I've tried to do through the years, though a few have noted the more positive influence I've tried to have in their lives.
I CANNOT claim to have been "perfect," or even close to it by ANY means! But I always tried to be at least thoughtful and calculating in what I figured I MIGHT be able to get away with. That entitles me to NO kudos! And they haven't been forthcoming very often, and when I've received any, I've always thrown it all back on them and THEIR decisions and thoughts and sentiments, and NOT mine! If I took credit if someone did something good, then by rights, I'd have to take credit for their messups, and THAT is something I will NEVER be willing to do. We ALL make our own decisions in this life, and none of us gets them all right. But we always have to try, lest we really, really, really err and pay for it dearly, even maybe sometimes with our lives.
But loyalty to those we value and who've meant something to us along the way CAN really pay off, even if it takes a long time in coming. So folks, as Christians, let us recognize that Christ was loyal to US, when we were in our sins. How can we thus follow His wondrous lead and NOT do the same for those around us? I think loyalty is a trait that is very highly under-rated in these days of PC theology's dominance, and it's "do it if it feels good" philosophy, and tendency to always recommend taking "the easy way out," and its recommendation for contrived, pat, "easy" answers to everything. We're living in a "pre-packaged" world, where everything is all laid out for us to follow. Only those who break away, and strive independently to find their OWN answers, can really come to a full appreciation of who and what God really is, how He works in our day and time and in our lives, and how crucial we are to those we know most intimately.
So if loyalty is a waning concept in our world, and does not get the kind of appreciation or consideration it rightfully deserves, then .... how can we expect our world to NOT keep going downhill? PC theology, with all its exclusions for traditional concepts of "good and evil," seems to me to be the most heavy burden a nation like we once were could possibly have to bear, and defy. But defiance is the mark of those original Christians, who defied so much and at such terrible risk, and it continues to be very difficult for us to bring ourselves to practice to this day. But it's always part and parcel of the acceptance of the inestimable benefit of Salvation. We can't truly accept Salvation without taking up the traditional "crosses" that all the Christians before us bore so diligently in getting us to this point. And our progeny will not long get to inherit a decent world from us UNLESS we DO take up those old "crosses" the original and subsequent generations of Christians bore for OUR benefit! And loyalty is one of those traits that we sometimes hate having to practice, but it ALWAYS brings benefits, IF we simply don't shirk our duties to those around us who we know most intimately.
It's always been like that, even though PC theology would deny that. PC theology, in the end, boils down to "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." And any people that have ever swallowed THAT bitter pill have .... well, they've disapperard from the earth, and only their writings and philosophies remain, to take down any who subsequently adopt their precepts.
I don't see how any real, mature Christian gets through life without being VERY "independent" in their thinking and actions! And loyalty to long time friends is one of the measures of that simple trait, IMO. Thus, it's more important and crucial to our world than any of us probably realize. This is my view, and it's based on Christ's loyalty to US, even when we were in our sins, or while we were developing into the men and women we were to become. I think we need to take it more seriously, and practice it much more often today. FWIW?