Loyalty and Happiness From Within

I recently ran across two quotes, one said, "Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends" and the other, "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."  Sounds bleak doesn't it? Have you ever put all your trust in a friend and then they did something that blew all that trust in the dirt? Maybe it was a family member who broke a confidence or a spouse who set his or her eyes on something else other than your marriage. Whatever it might have been, I bet you can still remember the feeling you had in the pit of your stomach and how you couldn't sleep or eat. Betrayal is a hard pill to swallow. 

Proverbs 17:9 tells us, "If you forgive a person who does wrong to you, then you can be friends. But if you continue to remember the wrong that he did, then it will hurt your friendship" but what about when you do forgive someone and they continue in their disloyalty?  How can a friendship flourish with only one accountable person?  I don't think it can.  Forgiving someone doesn't mean that the relationship will take this fantastic turn and all is well, sometimes it means having to take separate paths for a while and in some instances it means moving on entirely without any hopes of reconciliation.  As painful as separating might be, you might want to ask yourself, "How important is this relationship to my well-being? Do I need this person to achieve happiness?."  Some people have learned that genuine happiness is something that is manufactured from within.  It cannot be purchased, transferred or deposited from another into your heart like some might believe. There is one person whom we can trust and who can bring us much happiness and peace from within when we behold Him and that is God. He tells us, "And if people try hard to find me, they will find me. I also have riches and honor to give. I give true wealth and success. The things I give are better than fine gold. And my gifts are better than pure silver.  I lead people in the right way. I lead them along the paths of right judgment. I give wealth to people who love me. Yes, I fill their houses with treasures." 

If you've experienced disloyalty from a friend take hope, there are people out there who can be trusted, more importantly, be that person who can be trusted!  My hope for you today is not that you find the right friend, spouse or mate to make you happy but that you find happiness to share with the right person.