Commitment

Commitment seems to be a word that is spoken quite a bit nowadays, but used very little. I believe our intentions are good at the start, but our commitment fades just like our favorite t-shirt after being put through the wringer. Can I just say, it makes me sad? It makes me sad for my kids, my church, my friends, marriages....and the list goes on. What happened to being people of our word? I think, as a country, we need to get back to being people of our Word. God's Word says, "commit your way to the Lord" (Psalm 37:5) and "commit to the Lord whatever you do" (Proverbs 16:3).

So, what are we committing to? Things? Man? Our goals? Our ways? In both verses, the key is found in committing to the LORD. A lack of true commitment has birthed prenuptial agreements, divorce decrees, contracts, documentation, etc. We are living in a mindset of protecting ourselves in the event that something goes wrong. Doesn't that cause our perspective to be out of whack from the beginning?

Interestingly enough, the dictionary defines commitment as "a pledge, a promise or an obligation". When referenced to religion in the dictionary, it is also defined as involvement. Wow! None of these definitions include "to stick with something as long as you have the warm and fuzzies".

Let's look back in Psalm 37:5-7. After "commit your way to the Lord", it states "trust in Him and He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be STILL before the Lord and WAIT patiently for Him." It does not say to quit or leave or give up. Go back to Proverbs 16:3-4 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The Lord works out everything for His own ends." Not ours, but His.

Tough stuff but worth it. Too many times we quit before we really taste the sweetness of what God had planned. Everything worthwhile takes hard work. The Lord is worthwhile, I promise, so let's work hard on our commitments to Him.