Commitment

Commit thy way unto the Lord; and he shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:5

It appears that in a world that is full of relativity, commitment is the virtue that seems to be lacking the most. Whether, it is in relationships or work or family life, being non-committal appears to be the new rule and no more the exception. The same can be said about Christianity, in general. There is much discussion about doctrinal issues and associated debate about which doctrine is “more” true than the other. It also appears that “belief-ism” is more important than the commitment that is associated with a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

In a recent study by the Pew Research Institute called the Religious Landscape Study, 35,000 Americans from all 50 states were surveyed about their religious affiliations, beliefs and practices, and social and political views. 70.6% identified themselves as Christians; 63% believe in God with absolute certainty; 53% said that religion was very important in their lives; 36% said that they attended church at least once a week while 30% said that they seldom or never attended church services; 55% said that they prayed at least once per day while 23% said that they seldom or never prayed; 35% said that they read the scriptures at least once a week while 45% said that they seldom or never read the scriptures. Lastly, 33% of those surveyed believe that there are absolutes in standards for right and wrong while 65% believe that right or wrong depends upon the situation.

The numbers in the survey tend to show that many people in America identify as Christian. However, as the level of effort raises, whether it is church attendance, prayer or bible study, the level of commitment declines. What is even more intriguing is with 70.6% of the respondents identifying as Christian only 33% believe that there are clear standards for right and wrong. Digging into the study, it also appears that the younger generations are less inclined to be fully committed to a Christian lifestyle than their parents and grandparents. Commitment is not exclusively a Christian virtue. However, it is an essential and necessary quality for us to succeed in this life in both the church and the world.

David wrote in Psalm 37.5 that we are to commit our way unto the Lord. What is implied here is the idea of sacrifice and unselfishness. The word commit means to pledge, devote or dedicate. This is an absolute action on our part to God. In this scripture, we are to absolutely surrender (pledge, devote, dedicate) our self (or way) to the Lord. In doing so, He in turn will “bring it to pass.” What is He bringing to pass? Psalm 37.5 states:

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

If we commit our way, He promises to give us that which we desire in our hearts. The caveat is that we must delight ourselves in Him. The implication is that the desires of our heart will align with God’s own desires for us. This rules out sinful or harmful desires that God himself would not be delighted in. This type of “commitment” requires us to be fully engaged in our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If God is willing to bring these things to pass and all we have to do is to commit, why is commitment so hard? One reason may be because we, generally, live in a world that lacks discipline. Along with the lack of discipline, we also, unfortunately, have many options. It is interesting to me that at the root of the word discipline is the word “disciple.” Inherent in the word disciple is the idea of following another. As Christians, it should go without saying that we are to follow Christ. However, that is a hard task without commitment. In other words, if we are committed to Christ, we will follow him in the way that pleases him … not us. We will commit to studying, praying and yes, even assembling with other believers for strength and fellowship. We won’t have our ideas dictate what that commitment means. On the contrary, we will pledge, devote and dedicate our lives based upon His will not our own. Discipline comes in when we are consistently following Christ in a way that pleases him. An example of this type of discipline and commitment was described by Paul in speaking of the Bereans:

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Acts 17: 11

In being committed to Christ, there are no “outs.” We don’t follow him until … or follow him unless. There are no other options. He is our all-in-all. Options come in when we take our eyes off of Him. At that point, other things have a tendency to come into view. These “options” become distractions and tend to stifle real commitment. Sometimes these “options” come in the form of another person that we place before Christ. But it can come in the form of worldly desires that mimic those godly desires that God truly wants us to have. Options can be very deceptive and very dangerous to our soul. Therefore, when serving God, it is truly best to have no options accept Him.

Finally, when it comes to a committed life, only love can sustain that type of living. Think about it, we only do what we truly love. We only stay committed to what and who we truly love. Our younger generations may have a problem with commitment because it has not been “modeled” appropriately before them. When the majority of marriages in American end in divorce and two-thirds of second marriages suffer the same fate, our younger generations have a poor image of love and commitment. Even in homes that are together, if Jesus Christ is not the center of the home, true love and commitment cannot be modeled correctly. The scripture tells us that God is love. Therefore, a home without God cannot understand the real truth about love. What goes for the home also goes for the church. If Christ is not the center focus of the church, true love cannot be on display. Read about the church of the Laodicians in Revelation 3: 14-22. They thought that they had it all as far as a church is concerned. However, in God’s eyes they made him sick and they were spiritually destitute. They epitomized a church that lacked commitment … and they were sorely decieved.

Commitment is essential in any successful endeavor in this life. Ask a successful businessperson, athlete or musician and they will tell you that it was commitment to their own endeavors that made them successful. It took many hours of dedication and sacrifice, committing themselves to what they loved. Success in our Christian walk is no different. It takes much dedication and sacrifice or as Jesus said before his crucifixion, “Not my will but thine be done.” In those words is the essence of commitment.