Blog Layout

Are You a Loyal Person?

Gary Keesee • Jul 06, 2018

Are you a loyal person?

Wait. Before you answer that question, answer these:

  1. How well do you follow instructions from someone in authority?
  2. When someone leading you gives you something to do that you don’t really want to do, how do you act? Do you take the assignment and run with it? Or do you get offended and start complaining to the people around you?

Now that you’ve answered those questions, I’ll ask you again: Are you a loyal person?

You’ve probably heard me talk before or read some of my blogs about the importance of the authorities in our lives and how they’re established by God to help us, protect us, mold us, and mentor us. And some of us soak that up because we’ve learned—probably the hard way —that submission to the leadership or authorities God has placed in our lives gives us an advantage. But some people don’t think they need to submit to or be loyal to anyone or they think that they only need to be submissive and loyal to certain people or in specific situations. And that’s where things get dangerous.

The Bible tells us that those who have been given a trust must prove they’re loyal, and we’ve all been given a trust, or responsibilities, of some sort. We are required to be loyal to the person that gave us the trust, or the responsibilities. So many people want to be promoted in business and in ministry, but they aren’t loyal to the leaders in their lives.

Loyalty is the pathway to promotion.

So how do we know if we’re really loyal? What does loyalty, or even more importantly—disloyalty, look like?

One of the first ways to recognize disloyalty is to look for an independent spirit. While loyal people follow instructions, seek to please leadership, and desire to be problem solvers, the independent spirits want to do things their way. They think their ideas are better than those of leadership. They begin to do things a little bit differently than the way they were asked to do them. They bend the rules, even if only subtly. And if and when leadership calls them on it, they quickly move to the next phase of disloyalty—offense.

You will be offended and you will offend at some point in your life. Loyal people forgive and move on. Disloyal people don’t. They take it personally. Then, because they’re carrying that offense, they become passive—the third phase of disloyalty. They stop showing up. They withdraw.

Think about it. When you feel offended by someone are you generous toward that person with your giving, your time, your attention, and in serving them? Nope. Offended people stop doing.

And because offended, passive people are too busy watching instead of doing, they become critical—the fourth phase of disloyalty. They talk about the problems and never offer solutions. They blame leadership and never take responsibility. Conversely, loyal people realize that there will always be problems and that they play a role in fixing them. Loyal people know that we do it together.

The only thing disloyal people do together is get political—the fifth phase of disloyalty. This is when disloyal people get a little gutsy. They no longer just criticize leadership in front of those closest to them, but they start to draw others in to build a case against leadership and to have a forum for their complaints. They need justification. And when they’ve got their group of supporters, they move into phase six of disloyalty—deceit.

Disloyal people are almost always deceived. They think of themselves more highly than they should. They forget their teachers and how they got where they are. They forget to be grateful for those that laid the path before them. Deception tells them, “You’re big,” and “They don’t appreciate you.” And so disloyal people get bold and openly rebel—phase seven of disloyalty. They put it all out there. They blog about it. They tell everyone they talk to about the offense.

Then they start attracting others like them—rebels who are also offended easily and who will end up offending each other. And so they come to a crossroads where they must begin the whole process over again or change and submit. Either way, if a disloyal person has come to this eighth phase, an “execution” of some sort has to take place.

So, are you in one of these phases? Can it be said about you that you’re loyal? Do your employers, your spouse, your friends, and your pastor call you loyal? If your answer is yes, that’s great.

If you know that you’ve been in one of these phases, though, it’s not too late to change. Your emotions have nothing to do with it. You make the choice to be loyal. You don’t have to feel loyal to be loyal.

Once you get that, you’ll know how to respond to assignments, carry some weight, and be trusted with the bigger-than-life things God has for you. You can do anything because God backs up the loyal.

The post Are You a Loyal Person? appeared first on Gary Keesee Ministries.

5 Steps to Release the Kingdom in Your Life

By Gary Keesee • 10 Apr, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 13 secs – In John 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you know it? It’s where we see Jesus teaching the disciples how to release the Kingdom of God into the earth realm. Basically, a large crowd was following Jesus, listening to Him teach, and watching Him perform miracles. It got to a point where the people needed to eat, and Jesus asked the disciples what they planned to feed the people. Of course, Jesus knew the disciples would freak out. They couldn’t feed 5,000 people. In fact, they started talking about how it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy just a bite for that many people. Jesus was teaching the disciples, and He was teaching us— the Kingdom of God has all the answers you need . How can you release the Kingdom of God into your life? Here are the five steps Jesus took. 1. Look at what you have. Jesus asked the disciples what they had to feed the people. What do you have in your life that you can give God to work with? Jesus multiplied bread into bread and fish into fish. What do you need multiplied in your life? Find some of it. That’s your seed. Also, remember that money can be named. You don’t sow money to believe for more paper or digital money. Money represents your life and can be named to be the thing you need multiplied. 2. Make sure you’re in faith. “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, GNT). You have to know how to judge whether or not you’re in faith. How? Do you have the right picture? When you close your eyes, what do you see? Do you see yourself with the thing you’re believing for? Can you defend your position? Why do you believe it? Prove it! Because you can be sure that between the “Amen” and the “There it is!” the enemy is going to contend for it, so you better be able to defend it. Do you have joy, expectancy, and peace? Are you in agreement with your spouse? 3. Confess over what you have, and release it in faith. Be specific. Say exactly what you’re believing for and release the seed to God. 4. Get the plan from God. Be ready for new direction, new ideas, and new concepts by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Carry a notepad and a pen. Write everything down. 5. Act quickly! When God gives you the plan, MOVE! It’s wise to have counselors and get wisdom, but you need to act swiftly on any direction you receive from the Holy Spirit.

Want Growth and Success? Here Are 10 Steps to Help Take You There

By Gary Keesee • 13 Mar, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 34 secs – How can you make sure you’re equipped for the growth coming your way this year? Here are my 10 steps to posture yourself for opportunity and success. 1. Ask yourself how you’re handling your current responsibilities. Don’t run from your responsibilities. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you should be a success. People will still see the evidence of God even if you think you’re in the wrong spot. 2. Detox your life of the things that keep you from having time to think. We live in a fast-paced world. There are plenty of things that can keep you distracted. But it’s in the moments that you stop to think that you’ll find ways to solve problems, and that’s where the opportunities are. So figure out what is consuming your time. Start saying no to some things. Find time to think. 3. Don’t hang around people who are always losing. I know people hit rough spots, but if the people in your life are chronically losing, it’s time to expand your circle. Hang around people who are better than you are, who don’t see things as impossible, and who have vision. It may be uncomfortable for you, but their influence will cause you to think differently. 4. Write down EVERY idea that you have, no matter how strange it seems. Most people filter opportunities and ideas through what they perceive their ability to be. This means most people discard ideas by the dozens because they don’t think they can do them. But God isn’t limited to what you know how to do. The ideas He gives you might seem so weird to you that you can’t process them fully. Write them down so you have time to think about them. 5. Research. Research. Repeat. You don’t need to know how to do something; you need to know how to learn how to do it. Research until you find what you’re looking for. 6. Count the cost before you jump. A lot of Christians hear God and jump out too soon, resulting in catastrophe. There are seasons for everything. God will prepare you for where He wants you to go. Be patient. 7. Always be in agreement with your spouse. Never, ever march out into battle without your spouse being in total agreement and your faith aligned. 8. Ask God for direction. Ask Him to help you, to show you where to go, and what to do. And always remember that prophecy from other people shouldn’t lead you; it should only confirm what God has already said to you. 9. Commit to never quit. Quitting is not an option. Once you’ve moved, don’t move again until God speaks to you. Stay with it. Walk it out. Don’t quit. So many people have so much potential, but they get uncomfortable and they quit. If you want to win, you should always be stretching. 10. Get ready to embrace bigger things. Your ability to see the big picture will keep growing as you change and grow on the inside. You’ll pick up on even more opportunities. For more principles, check out this FREE video on success.

The Consequences of Strife: Why You Should Never Allow It in Your Life

By Drenda Keesee • 14 Feb, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 59 secs – A stuffed toy laid in the road at the scene of the accident. As we passed, the Lord spoke to me, “ Okay, this is your last warning. Are you going to continue this? You know you are opening the door to the enemy.” Gary and I had had a disagreement just before we had left the house for our family road trip. And there we were six hours in and we’d barely said a word to one another. Six hours. You think driving from Ohio to Tennessee is a long stretch of highway? Try doing it while giving someone the silent treatment. One word: torture. Then we passed the accident. Gary and I both felt the same conviction when we passed it, especially because it clearly involved children. But... pride. We knew what we were doing wasn’t good. (What kind of example is it to your children to ignore each other?) But neither of us wanted to lay down our pride. I kept hearing the voice of the Lord, and I’d think, No, I’m not going to fix this thing, because then I’ll have to talk to him. It was almost a competition to see who could hold our grudge for the longest. But strife is dangerous stuff. What is strife? Drama, conflict, friction, disagreement, bickering, arguing, bad blood, disputes… whichever words you use to describe it, it’s dangerous. Whether it’s between you and your spouse, you and your child, you and a friend, you and a family member, or you and a coworker, you don’t want to let strife remain in your life. The Bible says that where there is strife, there is confusion and there is every evil work (James 3:16). Our small argument between Gary and I had gone unchecked and had escalated, and neither one of us were listening to the voice of the Lord. And there were consequences for our strife and outright disobedience. About an hour after we passed the accident, a car pulled out in front of our vehicle, and we were in what could have been a very serious car accident. I started yelling the name of Jesus, and God supernaturally protected our entire family. Initially, it looked as though there were going to be serious issues. They told us our son’s spleen might rupture. I was pregnant, and the doctors worried that I might lose the baby. Through all of these things, we stood on the Word of God, and we all came out unharmed, including the young preacher’s son who had pulled out in front of us (he was in disobedience at that moment too). Even in the midst of this difficult situation, through our prayers, standing on God’s Word, and our children’s words to the medical personnel, we had opportunities to minister and impact the little county hospital we had to visit. The enemy tried to take us out, but he lost. We were responsible for opening the door to the enemy. But the name of Jesus is more powerful than our mistakes and circumstances, and that is what kept us protected. You MUST stay on guard and not allow strife in your life, with anyone. How? Here are just three quick tips: Bite your tongue. You don’t have to say everything you think. Don’t lash out or give the silent treatment. Work on communicating with others in a healthy way. Repent quickly and forgive quickly. Take responsibility; admit when you’re wrong. Say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness. Don’t hold onto hurts. Forgive as you’ve been forgiven by Jesus.
Share by: