Have you ever been loyal to the wrong cause or the wrong group of people? Have you ever picked being part of the crowd rather than belonging to Christ? Maybe you stay silent about your faith in class because you don’t want to seem close-minded or “too religious.” Maybe you go along with your coworkers’ crude jokes or gossip just to stay liked and included. Maybe you let your kids consume shows or books that normalize sin, thinking, “Well, it’s just what everyone’s watching these days.”

Loyalty to the wrong cause—even when it feels easier—always costs more than we think. This was the same trap the tribe of Benjamin fell into in Judges 20. When the men of Gibeah committed the unthinkable act of raping a woman to death, the rest of the tribe chose to defend them instead of confronting this evil. Loyalty to their people outweighed their loyalty to God. And it led to destruction.