1 Corinthians 4:1-3 KJV — Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. [2] Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. [3] But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

As we continue in our holy week meditations, let us endeavour to be loyal and faithful to those who gave us a helping hand when others turned their back; to those who sacrificed to coach and mentor us to become what we have become; to those who reached out to us when the world turned her back to us. It is difficult to find help lately; don’t bite the hand that once fed you. Be careful when you are speaking and behaving rudely towards the hand that helped you up, washed away your shame, fed and clothed you. They may not utter a word but the rewards of your own ungrateful actions will catch up with you. Judas died without help; because he betrayed his master with a kiss.

To be loyal is to remain constant. What most people don’t realize is that, time and circumstances change; but there is a need to remain constant through the changing scenes of life.

I don’t think your parents carried you as a child and thought, you will remain a child forever. When your illiterate parents enrolled you in a school, they knew you were there to acquire knowledge that will change your life. What they didn’t expect was for you to despise them because you acquired knowledge. I always say that the village that sponsored you to go to the city to buy a torchlight; did not do so for you to be watching their faces with the light but to shine the path for them to find the way.

Most people don’t realize that to remain constant, faithful, and loyal, you must prepare to fight some things. Every one of us must prepare to escape the pitfalls of disloyalty.

There are so many pitfalls and traps that lead to disloyalty but today we want to learn from the story of one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, his name is Judah. Judah was the treasurer in Jesus Christ’s ministry on earth. He had been with Jesus and loved him as his master. One day he however agreed with the elders of the Jews that he will betray his Lord to them. How did he get there? The devil put it in his heart to do so.

It is important to remember that the devil does not have any power over the child of God. In Matthew 28:14ff, we know that all power has been given to the Lord. The devil has no power; what he has are wiles, cons, and devices. In Luke 10, the Lord gave Judas and the other disciples power to heal the sick and cast out devils.

Judas had power to subdue the devil if he wanted to! His power and defense were breached when he allowed certain things to have the better part of him.

1. A sense of entitlement:

Most people who develop a sense of entitlement became disloyal and unfaithful. A sense of entitlement will rob you of a sense of gratitude which must have kept you humble and grateful. One day, I borrowed money to buy a gift for a young man; but he never said thank you. He didn’t appreciate the gift because he felt he deserved better and I should be able to afford better.

2. Bitterness:

Asense of entitlement can make you bitter. The Bible says the roots of bitterness defiles many. Bitterness is a root; it’s not a fruit nor a tree. Bitterness is not even a spirit; it is a root! It spread and destroys much good. Deal with it!

3. Ignorance and/or intellectual dishonesty:

Most people become disloyal because of ignorance and intellectual dishonesty. Most disloyal stewards are self conceited; they tell their story to themselves and feel justified to misbehave.

4. Surrounding yourself with people that support your behavior and choices:

When you surround yourself with people that endorse your bad behavior, you will soon find nothing wrong with it. The Bible warns us of being friends with an angry man. When you become friends with an angry man, you will learn of his ways and be destroyed. When Judas got disappointed, the first company he aligned with were the angry elders.

5. Disappointment:

Some people become disloyal when their unrealistic expectations are not met. Most people don’t communicate their expectations clearly. I had a group of young people that served around; most of them became disgruntled and left because their expectations were not met. The Bible says hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Judas got offended because he had an expectation. According to John, he thought Mary, the woman who came to prepare the body of Christ for his burial, should have sold the oil and the money given to the poor. His real motives were rather that he would have the opportunity to steal the money as he always did.

There is nothing hurtful in this life, then to raise a nobody to become somebody; and when they gain value and status, they begin to think you are nobody. I pray that from today, we will keep faith with each other and remain constant through the changing scenes of life.

Today’s Prayer

Pray that the Lord will give you the heart and the grace to remain faithful. May the Lord save us from the pitfall of disloyalty! May you never forget who you were before you were coached and mentored to transform! I rebuke and destroy every trap of entitlement! Receive grace to stay faithful to the end.