The football stadium was packed. Upbeat music reverberated through the stands; the air was redolent with the smell of fried food. The day’s matchup was between our family’s two favorite teams: the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings.
If you’d asked me who I wanted to win beforehand, I would’ve said it didn’t matter—I liked both teams equally.
But by the time I cheered so loudly for the Vikings that I lost my voice, I realized I did care. After watching the Broncos take an early lead, I’d high-fived strangers as the Vikings came from behind to win in the second half.
I glanced over at my husband, a Colorado native and Broncos fan, who was watching me with bemusement. “I thought you didn’t care who won?”
I shrugged, eyes wide. “I guess I’m a Vikings fan after all!”
In that decisive moment, I’d chosen one team over the other.
While our favorite team may be inconsequential, many choices are more powerful. Reading through Psalm 51:10, I’m struck by the way one version frames the second half of the verse: “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me” (NLT).
Other translations use the phrase “right spirit” or “steadfast spirit,” but “loyal?” I was stunned. How had I missed the implication? No matter what I say I believe, the way I spend my time each day reveals the truth of who I am and where my loyalties lie. Small, daily decisions add up to the sum of our lives.
Is my loyalty to Jesus? Sometimes, if I’m honest, the world and its distractions pull me in and divide my heart. My decision to be loyal to Jesus must happen every day—over money, fame, comfort, or convenience. When I choose to trust and rely on Him, my actions demonstrate the truth of what I believe and who I am becoming.
What’s one way you can choose Jesus today?
