Who are you LOYAL to?

I was looking around my kitchen the other day and was surprised to notice for the very first time that all the appliances we had in the kitchen were from different suppliers. In fact the more I looked I was shocked there was not one that seemed to be the same.

           

We had a “Kambrook” Toaster, “Fisher and Pykel” Fridge, SMEG dishwasher, “Westinghouse” Oven, “Russel and Hobbs” Jug, “Breville” Urn, “Sunbeam” Electric Frypan and a “CannonSP6” Stovetop.

I didn’t even know there was that many different companies that made kitchen appliances.  It started to become a challenge for me, so I looked around the rest of the house. It got worse…..

All our remote controls ALL different brands

We have a “Clean TECH” vacuum cleaner, “Phillips” Iron, “Ariston” Washing machine, “Hoover” Dryer, “Pioneer” Blueray player, “Sony” DVD player, “LG” TV, “ONKYO” amplifier, “Telstra” T-box, “PC” main computer and “APPLE” laptop.

Seriously, I thought to myself, could we be anymore diverse! Not one thing was the same…OBVIOULSY we are not “Brand LOYAL”. This is not good news for these companies; they obviously have not been successful in selling to us, their value. We simply go for the one that is the cheapest, most assessable and possibly even what looks the nicest on the outside at the time of purchase. Sounds very fickle I know.

While I am fine with this personally, as appliances are clearly not our passion, but it made me think about what AM I loyal to?  Is LOYALTY seen as important today? In a world where everything is easily replaceable and expendable, does LOYALTY have a place?

It seems that I am not the only one as FORBES magazine recently posted an article titled “Consumers Are No Longer Brand Loyal”(www.forbes.com, 12/10/2014 @ 9:30AM 3,493 views)

The article said “With today’s savvy consumer, it’s imperative that brands focus on how to better interact with them, how to build stronger relationships, and how to ensure that those relationships generate trust and meaningful engagement over time.”

Wow, so companies are talking about relationships, trust and meaningful engagement as being important keys to keeping their customers as they struggle with maintaining their customer base. Excuse the cynic in me, as I look around and see the breakdown of “loyalty” in the area of marriage, friendships, the Church you belong to, the country you live in, the sporting club you support etc. These are surely the places where relationships, trust and meaningful engagement are “key”. There are people jumping from ship to ship in every aspect of life.  This happens when things are not working for them, or when something looks more attractive or is cheaper to obtain. In a world with so many options it is just too easy to NOT BE LOYAL.

The word Loyalty is closely linked to being someone who is FAITHFUL and someone that is TRUSTWORTHY. These are important qualities that God looks for as He asks us to put Him first, to be LOYAL to Him first above everything.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

God’s loyalty towards us has never changed; it knows no limits and no bounds, no matter how much we have dumped him, been disloyal or unfaithful.  

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

They are big words, big challenges, in a world where LOYALITY is losing ground in every aspect of life….it begs the question!

SO what/who are you LOYAL to? What will you hold onto and stay with even when the grass looks greener on the other side? What would you sacrifice something for  even if it may require dying for? Is there anything?