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Our 16-year old son is a bit fussy when it comes to his hair. And is very particular about who cuts it.
The days of the bowl cut are over. He has come to trust only one person to approach him with scissors near his head.
Recently, there was a family discussion over hair and his perceived need to get styled by the anointed master of the cut. First, he didn’t look like he needed a haircut (but what do I know?). Second, that custom cut wasn’t cheap. $35 plus tip.
So he went. After it was done, I didn’t see a difference.
I guess that’s the idea.
It is interesting to see the loyalty we have to the person who cuts our hair. We will plan the appointment weeks in advance, and trust him or her with our very coif, enter with great expectations, and leave with either love for the outcome, or hope for better the next time - which requires another appointment.
We get comfortable. We can trust him or her completely with one our most valuable assets. In the process, we confide in him or her. We feel safe sharing our deepest secrets and important wishes. And we wouldn’t go anywhere else. In fact, we might change churches more often than changing our hairdresser.
Are we that loyal – to God?
Before you answer that question with a definitive statement which starts with, “Of course,” consider God’s Word:
Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:14-15).
We often view this passage as the direction we need to lead our families, which is correct. But Joshua, the strong-willed and God-focused leader of the Israelites tells them how. Loyalty to God starts with rejecting the false gods of the culture and serve the One who constantly and consistently proves his loyalty to us.
And while we demonstrate our loyalty to our hair person going to him or her exclusively, allowing him or her free reign with our all-important look, sharing our deepest truths, God desires and deserves the same. He is trustworthy and our faithful provider:
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies (Psalms 18:2-3).
Those enemies might include those false gods – like money, power, sex, status, and (wait for it), vanity.
But how can we show our loyalty to the Lord in tangible way? Through obedience.
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:3-5).
As believers, we are not “burdened” with the notion of obeying his statues and direction. Rather, we are free to choose to follow his son, including dying to our desires and self-focus. We then have the opportunity to serve him with joy and freedom.
Well, I think I’m due for a haircut.
Encouragement for you: Our dedication to our barber, hair cutter, hair dresser, or stylist, is reflects our desire to stay loyal. He or she might do a great job and you want to continue that experience. Maybe you have received a lot of complements on your look, or you appreciate the conversation and social aspects of the cut. Or maybe he or she shamed you into setting a year’s worth of appointments and now you’re stuck. Consider the simplicity of loyalty to God. Our unconditional love and surrender to his son without distraction from world’s false gods delivers us eternal life with him. On this earth, loyalty is demonstrated through obedience.
Deeper Dive: Psalm 19:7-11; 1 Kings 18:21, Matthew 6:24, 11:28-30; Hebrews 8:10
Paul Ciotta
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