A Call to
Commitment
May 26, 2003
You were designed for commitment just as surely as
a ship is built for the open seas and a plane for the sky. If
you've never devoted yourself to Christ, you're like a clipper
ship tethered to a dock or a jet tied down in a hanger. All of
your spiritual potential is at rest, waiting to be unleashed.
Growing spiritually demands commitment. Nobody who
tiptoes through life, as though he were sneaking through a
minefield, will become a force for the kingdom of God. The level
of your spiritual growth will be directly proportional to the
level of your commitment. Consider the words of John Rohn:
Let others lead
small lives,
but not you.
Let others argue over small things,
but not you.
Let others cry over small hurts,
but not you.
Let others leave their future
in someone else's hands,
but not you.
Spiritual maturity isn't like a butterfly that
will land on your shoulder if you stand still long enough. And
you can't wait for someone to hand it to you. It flows from
commitment. After the apostle Paul had explained to the Romans
the concept of justification by faith he went on to tell them
that their spiritual life rested in their identity in Christ. As
followers of Jesus we are identified with him in his death,
burial and resurrection (Romans 6).
Yet, we're rendered spiritually impotent if we
lack commitment. That's why Paul said, "Therefore, I urge you,
brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act
of worship" (Romans 12:1). As followers of Jesus we're to place
all we are, have, and hope to be, on an altar before God.
Anything less leads to a small life . . . a life controlled by
your flesh and others rather than God.
If you want to fulfill your destiny and release
your spiritual potential, devote yourself to God. How? At a
moment in time, tell God that's what you want to do. And then,
throughout each day, consciously ask Christ to live through you.
You were created for commitment . . . don't settle for less.
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