...to all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning. Isaiah 61:3

Sunday, January 3, 2010

A Staff Conversation About Commitment

I like what everyone has said about this so far - lots of different ideas about what it means to be committed in both life and to God.

Commitment comes in lots of different forms. Most often, I think of commitment in the context of a relationship. "Love is a choice" and all that stuff. Everyone who knows me knows I'm either all in or all out. Black and white. No grey area. I do commitment well (or not well) depending on how you look at it. I take commitments to heart and I hold others to the same standard. But true commitment to God means a lot more than that.

When you're committed to God, I think it means you...

...do God's will rather than your own. Things always work out better that way.

...don't quit. There are times I want to quit certain things out of frustration - I'm too busy, it doesn't seem worth it, I just plain don't want to do whatever "it" is. But there is an intense amount of satisfaction coming through on the other side, knowing I didn't quit whatever it was - and I feel like it honors God when I follow through.

...make it a full-time gig. Am I committed when no one is looking? Do I stay committed with the things I put into my mind and heart - music, movies, people, places? What does my bank account show I'm committed to? Does the way I spend my spare time say I'm committed to God or the world?

Father, in the new year, help us to be committed to You. Give us strength to be not only hearers, but also doers of your Word. Thank you for loving us, even when we are not true to ourselves or to You.

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