Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? Proverbs 20:6
Sometimes a split-second decision shows what’s really important to a person.
Most of us think we’re pretty loyal and dependable, but the Bible’s Proverbs say, “Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?” (Proverbs 20:6). Being reliable means keeping your word and following through—especially at home. At home, with our kids, the Bible cautions, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger … Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Real faithfulness shows in how we treat those closest to us.
Cynthia’s dad gave her a never-to-be forgotten lesson on the way love follows through. When Cynthia was twelve, her father planned a special time for the two of them. Cynthia would go with her dad on one of his business trips, and they’d stay at a nice hotel. The two talked for months about every detail—after his meeting was over, they’d take a trolley downtown for dinner, shopping, and a movie, and go back to the hotel for a late-night swim, and ice cream.
But as they were leaving the business meeting, her father ran into an old friend and business partner who invited them both to dinner. Cynthia’s heart sank—there went her dreams of her special time with dad. But then her father smiled and said, “Not tonight. Cynthia and I have a special date planned.” He winked, took her hand, and together they ran off to enjoy an unforgettable night.
Cynthia told the story years later saying, his simple decision “bonded him to me forever because I knew what mattered most to him was me!”[1] she said. Yes, love follows through.
[1] Greg McKeown, Personal Interview, 2012, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (New York: Crown Business, 2014).
