Rich and Rewarding Loyalty

I Hope you had a great week last week deriving your strength from God to help you get through it :) I did that today more than any other day last week - had to swallow some difficult news that ultimately just made me so thankful to God for everything I have in life.  On a sweet note, Paxton is now pressing his little hands together when its time to pray at dinner and says his version of 'Ah meh' after our dinner table prayer.  After months of him watching us he is doing it on his own :)  THE sweetest thing and sound to this mommas ears :)

This week, our devotional is all about loyalty to your family.  Loyalty through your actions, your words (both said and written) and your thoughts - your whole self.  Todays scripture is taken from the book of Ruth.  Ruth was the daughter in law to a woman named Naomi.  In this particular scripture below, Ruths husband had died, Naomis son, and therefore according to law Ruth no longer had an obligation or loyalty to her mother in law.  Yet, as you will read, she remained loyal. 

But Ruth insisted in staying loyal to Naomi. "See," Naomi said to her. "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods.  You should do the same."
             But Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back.  I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live.  Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  I will die where you die and will be buried there.  May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to seperate us!"  So when Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her. 

Ruth 1:14-18

 

In a world where when the going gets tough people get going - its important that we take a loyalty reality check and ask ourselves if we are completely loyal to our loved ones when they need us.  Do we pull back and act as if nothing is wrong, do we talk about them to our girlfriends instead of with them? Do we bash our husbands for all his shortcummings versus praise him for everything he does thats wonderful? Do we fuss at our children for all they're doing wrong or remain loyal to our goal of building them up by focusing on what they're doing right? After all, they are real people with real little feelings :).  The list could go on and on...  This week - we are encouraged to be as loyal to our families and children as the Lord is loyal to us and Ruth to Naomi.  As hard as it may be to remain positive and uplifting when we would rather retreat and go away - being present and available to those we love and care about shows the ultimate love which is loyalty (remember those wedding vows?) Too bad we don't have to say vows to our children when we have them.

 

Choices:

• This week I will choose to guard my mouth and only speak well of others.
• This week I will choose to do a self check of my loyalty toward family and friends.
• This week I will choose to teach my children about the richness and rewards of loyalty.

Prayer
"Faithful Father, I praise you for being loyal, trustworthy, and loving toward me.  Help me to reflect that same type of loyal love toward the people in my life.  Give me the courage and strength to guard my tounge and my actions.  Keep me from hurting the ones I love through disloyal words or deeds.  Thank you for my children, my family members, and my friends, and help me to honor them with loyalty and faithfullness.  In Jesus' name I pray, amen." 

I have found myself lately being super motivated on Mondays, but by mid week sometimes forgetting what I am supposed to be working on for the week (oops :/)  So, this week I made a "poster" to print out and put in a place that can remind me all week long.  If you want to do the same just right click and save it or print it for yourself.   

 I hope you have a great week and sorry this is late in the evening or maybe even Tuesday depending on when you read this - like I said, whirlwind of a morning :)