SEMPER FIDELIS

Recently, I was reading a book; Point Man by Steve Farrar and I came across the term Semper Fidelis. It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps and it just means ALWAYS FAITHFUL. The keyword in the two-word motto is ALWAYS.

Always actually means always. It reminds me of some lines in the anthem of the Nigerian National Youth Service Corps (NYSC):

…Let us lift our nation high                                                                                                               Under the sun or in the rain                                                                                                    With dedication and selflessness…

Semper Fidelis means that your faithfulness should be unconditional and unwavering. It means faithful to the very end. Faithful to God in good times and in bad times. Faithful to God when it is convenient and faithful when it is not. Faithful to God when there is a profit to be made and when there is a loss to bear and I dare say, faithful to God when all you have laboured for is on the line.

You can say that this is the message that King David wanted to pass across when he wrote in the second part Psalms 15: 4

          He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.(KJV)

          who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind;(NIV)

          Keep your word even when it costs you (MSG)

 No matter the pain or the cost, I believe that God wants us to stay faithful to the truth even when lies have become the norm and everybody is falling in line. Faithful to the principles in the word of God, bearing in mind that the word of God does not change with the times. God does not abhor vices like adultery any less today than how he abhorred them in the days of Noah, just because it’s the ‘way to go’ now. If He is still the same God, then His likes and dislikes are still the same.

Granted, there may be more challenges in our days than there were in the early days, but God still promised us that He will make a way with each of those new challenges. This commitment for the Marines does not come naturally and painlessly. They have to make some heavy sacrifices to live it out. If you really want to remain committed and faithful to God, it is not going to be a stroll in the park. You can be sure that the enemy will try to hit you with his best shot. You can also be sure that God is standing by you to help you remain always faithful. Put your hands in His hands, move from just knowing what the Word says to obeying what the Word says. Remain Semper Fidelis!