Commitment

January 2023

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” Psalm 37:5

Commitment is what character is made of. Commitment strengthens relationships. Commitment is what turns a promise into a reality. Commitment requires steady faith in God and a rock-solid vow to follow His will above our own no matter what.

“When your will is God’s will, you will have your will.” – Charles Spurgeon

The word “commitment” is often associated with a marriage vow, a business contract, an ongoing payment, or an agreement. Merriam-Webster says that commitment is an agreement or pledge to do something in the future. The Cambridge Dictionary defines commitment as a promise or firm decision to do something. Oxford Languages says that commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. Therefore, commitment is a predetermined decision that becomes a conscious and daily choice to do what you have said you would do.

“Commitment means that certain decisions are made in advance, irrespective of the circumstances: ‘I will honor Christ, whatever the pain and whatever the cost. I will obey God’s word, even when that is the hardest thing to do. I will do what God has called me to do, when it is draining as well as when it is fulfilling.’ There is no other way to follow Christ”

– Pastor Colin Smith

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

Commitment is not a temporary fix, but a long-term contract. Commitment is whole-hearted devotion to something or someone you love. Commitment is not always pretty and it does not always feel good. There may be times of bliss and times of misery, but commitment is what makes every circumstance pure joy––knowing we are heading in the right direction and that God is making beauty out of our decision to trust Him.

“Commitment is the decision to go forward, to hang in there when the going gets tough, to take one more step when you are convinced all strength is gone. Commitment is the decision to stand by someone no matter what the temperature of a relationship may be, or the force of the wind that blows against it.” – Dr. Harold J. Sala

Commitment is a daily, sometimes minute by minute choice. It is a choice to trust someone or something beyond ourselves. A choice to love without wavering. A choice to go the distance and never give up. A choice of surrender. Commitment is a choice to move forward and not remain in the past.

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.” – Peter F. Drucker

Commitment is an action word and not a passive, half-hearted statement. It is the key that unlocks and exposes selfish motives and allows us the opportunity to freely give to others and deny self. When we are truly committed to something or someone, our minds look beyond our wants, our needs, as we give to another and trust. We can not commit to someone or something that we do not trust. To trust is to love. Without loving beyond ourselves, we can not fully commit. To learn to trust is the doorway to commitment. Trust is giving up control for the sake of love.

“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.” – Saint Augustine

When we get into the passenger seat of a car, we have to trust the driver to get us to our destination safely. When we buckle our seat belt, we have fully committed to the ride no matter what the outcome may be. The more we surrender to that driver and arrive at the destination in one piece, the ability to surrender to the process becomes easier and finally it becomes a natural, almost automatic reaction of trust. To trust the driver is not something we choose to believe when it is convenient for us or only when we need a ride, it is an ingrained branding in our minds that we are safe when that driver is behind the wheel. That is what it takes to trust God and others He has called us to be in alignment with––a total mind shift. We need a rewiring of our ability to trust. We are in desperate need of an ingrained branding in our belief that we are safe in the arms of God. We need to trust in Him so we can grow in His character, commit to His ways, and do His will.

“When we come to Christ, we are no longer the most important person in the world to us; Christ is. Instead of living only for ourselves, we have a higher goal: to live for Jesus.” – Billy Graham

Commitment wipes away excuses as we dig our heels in for the long term, never giving up following God’s Word. Commitment keeps us moving along the path God has laid before us. It is moving forward and not taking shortcuts or pit stops along the way. It is saying “Yes” and never saying “No” or giving into doubt. It is a sure thought and belief that what He says, He will do. It is believing the truth and sticking to it. It is understanding that even if others let you down, trusting in God is secure. Commitment is giving our all and knowing we did our very best to love and obey God’s will above our own.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie Ten Boom

If we are honest, we do not like commitment. Our flesh screams at us and tells us to run away. The sad truth is that we are living in a culture where commitment is not held in high regard, yet, it should be at the forefront of our desires as Christ followers. We often hear sermons on the importance of being transformed into the image of God. We say how we long to be like Jesus. We even sing songs and cry out to be more like Him. Friends, Jesus loved us so much that He committed His life to the cross.

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Commitment is the only way to be like Christ. Death to self is Jesus’ way. He gave up His all for us, so we too must give up our ways, our will, for Him. To break the will of man and grow the spirit is the end goal. To love with a spirit of selflessness and total surrender to God is to trust. Jesus trusted God’s plan and never wavered. Yes, He asked for the cup to be taken from Him if at all possible and He sweated blood as He thought about dying on the cross (for He was human, after all), but He committed to God’s plan and willingly laid down on that wooden cross.

“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” Matthew 26:42.

The nails that went through His hands poured out His liquid love for us. The spear that pierced His side flooded the earthly realm with love straight from the Father’s heart. Because of God’s ultimate plan of love and His commitment to us, we, through Jesus Christ, can be saved.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

God’s love sent His own Son to the world and Jesus’ love laid His life down in our place. His love is committed, never changing. His love is trustworthy. We can trust because His love has the best in mind for us. When we truly know we are loved, we can securely love in return. Then, we can let His love pour out of us onto those around us––a reflection of knowing and feeling His love. That is what it means to be transformed into His likeness; transformed by love. The more we surrender and commit to Him, the more we can be the vessel He needs us to be. The more we shine His love out of our lives, the more others can see Him and not us. We can fully and confidently commit to God’s will because Jesus lives in us. Jesus trusted and so can we. We can commit to Him and to those He has called us to love because we know His love is real.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Lord, we commit our lives to You. We surrender our wants and our desires to You. Give us strength to turn from our selfishness and break the will of the flesh. Teach us to be more like You. Show us what it truly means to love and guide us to Truth that is only found in You. We trust You and know that Your plans for us are good. We lean upon You, our Helper, in our times of joy and in times of need. Make us into a vessel worthy of Your use. Guide us on the path of righteousness and align us with the ones You need us to be united with for Your purpose and plan. May You get all the glory in and out of our lives as we yield to Your perfect and holy will. Amen.