Do We Really Understand Commitment

She had waited for this day for several months. They had been dating for a couple of years and had a serious relationship that they both knew would end in marriage. On this particular night, her months of waiting finally came to an end. After a wonderful dinner, and a walk by the river, he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife.  She accepted the beautiful ring and answered with a “yes.”  Did she really know the commitment she was making?

This young man loved the game of basketball. As a freshmen in high school, he tried out for the team and was selected to be one of the ten members of that team. He attended every practice and worked as hard as everyone else on the team, but the coach didn’t use him much in any of the games. It seemed as though the coach just didn’t like this young man, and seemed to take every opportunity to ridicule and poke fun at him. He often rode the bench during the game, even though his team might be many points ahead on the scoreboard. After observing this abuse for several weeks, his parents urged him to quit the team. That young man asked his parents a question: “Aren’t you the people who taught me that once you sign up for something you finish it?” Did he really understand what commitment was all about?

That dream job was finally open. The one he had applied for and had been waiting for–the opportunity of his dreams. He interviewed well and was told the job was his. He had signed his name to a contract at his current job, and the contract still had six more months to go. What would he do with this commitment he had made?

They were close to forty years old and had never had children. Their names had been on adoption lists for several years, but nothing had materialized for them and they were being told that their names were being removed from the lists because of their age. Their preacher was contacted by a member of the church who needed a set of parents for a child being born out of wedlock. Arrangements were made and when that child was born, it went to the home of this couple. After a couple of months of caring for a newborn, the preacher’s wife received a call. The adoptive mother was complaining about how difficult it was to care for a newborn. Their home wasn’t quiet and organized like it had been before. Had they not thought about the commitment they were making?

These and many other scenarios like them all have something to do with commitment.

Commitment. It’s a word we all would say we understand and a word for which we could probably give a definition. But do we truly understand what commitment is all about? More importantly, does our definition of commitment, and our will to be committed to the right things, measure up to what God would have us do?

When I look, even briefly, at some of the people in the Bible I see an understanding of commitment that far exceeds the understanding of commitment today.

Noah committed to the building of a vessel he had had no need for up to this point in his life.

Abraham and Sarai committed to travel to a land they knew nothing about.

Abraham committed to the sacrifice of his son of promise; something he most definitely could not understand.

Ruth, the young Moabite woman, committed to living in a land that was foreign to her because she had committed to the family of her husband.

Esther committed to going before the King on a mission in an effort to save the Jews from annihilation.

Jesus committed to living on this earth to set an example for all of mankind.

Jesus committed to death on the cross, so that I might have a home in heaven.

In all of these brief examples, the commitment was carried out because they were based upon trust. 

How much better would our marriages, our homes, our congregations, our work places, and our lives be if we just truly understood commitment to God and His Word?

Are you committed to your spouse?

Are you committed to rearing godly children?

Are you committed to the church; in particular, your local congregation?

Are you committed to doing your best at work?

Are you committed to letting your light shine before others?

Are you committed to God for life?

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

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Photo background credit: Ed Schipul on Creative Commons