COmmitment Day One
COmmitment Day One
Commitment
Commit to Jesus! Ok, sounds good so far. Once you accept Christ, your eternity is set! Ok, still sounds good. But, let me tell you a bit of the history of those who followed Jesus. Well, first Jesus was beaten and then murdered on the Cross. All of the Apostles, except John, were martyred. Still want to commit? Our human minds are typically focused on immediate gratification, rather than the long term guarantee.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "commitment?" Does it elicit a positive or negative connotation in your mind? It will probably depend on when you hear the word and in relation to how long the commitment it is. For instance, if you are married, you will speak your vows to commit to loving your wife for as long as you both shall live. Good commitment, right? How about the commitment to work hard at your job? Commitment comes easy when the pay is good, right? Or how about the commitment to being a good father? Easy? Ha! And finally, perhaps the one commitment that we really don't talk about, but many of us have committed to, and that is following Jesus. Yes, that does require a commitment!
Over the next 3 days, we will discuss the commitments to our wives, our kids, and our Lord. I'll dive into how we often start a commitment with a lot of enthusiasm, until, and it almost always happens, things get hard! Marriage is hard! Working hard, well, it's hard! Raising kids is hard! And following Jesus, really following Jesus, is really really hard!
We will also talk about why happiness doesn't exist beyond a fleeting moment, but Joy lasts eternally. How do you stay committed, even when you don't want to? How do you stay committed when things get hard? We've all been there, and in so many cases, I feel like I'm there daily. But how do we stay committed, and most importantly, what does Scripture say about being committed. If you take nothing away from this devotion but one thing "Jesus is committed to you...for eternity" then I think I've done ok.
Let's just peak at commitment in Scripture to get us started. I'll give you two examples where commitment was demonstrated and then some Scripture to read and meditate on (or noodle on, sleep on, think on, daydream on, or whatever you use to think on something.)
First, we see the commitment of Jesus. I want you to spend a moment and think about what Jesus actually committed to. Imagine your father being the head of a company and you are his right hand man. You have helped build this company with him from the ground up. But as you grow, you see the employees are just not doing great, so you commit to giving up your pay, your house, car, perks, and being at the top, and taking the job as service person in the cafeteria, to be there with them day by day. You want to encourage them, cheer them on, and serve them. You want to show even as an executive, you are willing to come down and be with them. Of course, Jesus gave up far more than that, and He also sacrificed His life in human form through a devastating beating and death. However, would any of us even take the job in the cafeteria? Maybe some of us would take it at first, but after a day or so in it, plus all of the lifestyle you had was gone, you'd probably opt out. I'd like to think I'd last a week, but honestly, probably not!
Jesus made a commitment to give up His place in Heaven and start in the womb. Even though He was God, He was also fully man. He felt pain, frustration, hunger, anger, and on. And He knew, even in the garden, that the commitment He made, was going to be seen through to the end. That was 33 years or so of this commitment, and knowing it would come to a bloody and very painful end. Then add on complete separation from the Father. His commitment came out of Love, and it also came out of knowing the end was worth the commitment, no matter the cost.
Second, we see Paul. Paul was an interesting fellow. He started out as a respectable member of Jewish community, and on to a pursuer of those who followed Christ. And by "pursuer" I mean he hunted them, had some stoned and many thrown in jail. He then transitioned from Saul to Paul and committed to serving Jesus, and he committed to seeing the race through until the end. He knew his pursuit for an appearance in Rome would end in death, but he did it because he was committed to sharing the Gospel in the way the Holy Spirit led him. He experienced a life changing redemption and gave a life changing commitment! How do you like that commitment?
Why did Jesus commit? Why did Paul commit? Why do we commit? I'd argue we all do it for the same reason, at least to start, Love. Love, defined by God, is far beyond what "love" is by world standards. It is sacrificial. It is never-ending. It is also, not easy.
Matthew 1:18-26
Matthew 26:42-46
2 Timothy 4:7
Today, write down a few things you are currently committed to. Write down why you started the commitment, and why you are still committed. Tomorrow, we will talk about our commitment to our spouses and what Scripture has to say about it.