Loyalty and commitment

In his last days, Joshua called the people together and like a CEO after a merger, warned them about the dangers of clinging to old and contrary cultures - they will become snares and traps for you, he warned. He also insists they choose where their loyalty lay.  These warnings don't just apply to big corporations, however, they apply to sports teams, small groups and even individuals. This is not to say that the door should be closed on new ideas but that we all have a culture, company and personal, that makes us who we are. Trying to imitate someone else only damages our own identity. No business can succeed if it is continually changing its focus, it needs to concentrate on its core business and, most importantly, core values. No team can win if its members are not all focused on the team game plan with half operating to one strategy and the others employing tactics used by a different team. No individual can succeed by trying to be an imitation of someone else instead of making use of their own strengths. What about loyalty? Most problems in business and work come from divided loyalties. The business only exists as long as it makes a profit, if that is not possible within the company culture of customer policy, wage rates, employee conditions, then the company must close. Changing the culture to produce an inferior article makes it a new company and each individual will, and must, decide if they can transfer their loyalty. A star performer in a poor team moving to a better one, must decide if they can accept not being the hero. The person who can't stand the boss has to decide if their loyalty is to their dependants, the job, or the boss before giving up. Loyalty is not a given, of course, and managers and big companies are apt to forget that loyalty must be earned, in the same way, as Joshua points out, that God earned that of the Israelites.