Titus 2 Men And Women

Commitment...A Promise To Keep!
by Sharon Merhalski
With Some Insight From Teddi Neevel

Definition of the word commitment from the American Heritage Dictionary:
1.  to promise or give your loyalty, time or money to a particular principle, person or plan of action.

I don't believe in blind loyalty. I believe God gives us the wisdom He promises us in His Word if we seek His will as we ask for His wisdom and discernment. Once we are satisfied that a matter is His will the next step is commitment to God's path for us. Unfortunately, too many Christians don't commit...which causes all kinds problems for lots of people. 

Our society has coined many words and phrases and often the Christian community picks up those coined terms and recites them as a mantra. One that I have often heard lately is "commitment phobic" or the fear of making personal commitments. Oh, how Satan loves that term. 

You may ask, what kinds of problems? Well...let's start with marriage. I know too many Christians who have made vows to their spouse while entertaining the thought, "but if things don't work out.... I can be single again." I see Christian parents by the score who have never made a commitment to God to raise their children, His heritage, for His glory...and the children grow up to have little or no godly character or purpose. And then there are churches and Christian organizations who see the lack of commitment on an all-too-regular basis. And, as a director of a Christian organization with first hand experience of this problem, I can assure you that the work of God is hindered by people "blowing in the wind"...here today and gone tomorrow... leaving their work undone or unable to be started by the person God most wanted to accomplish it. While God will use someone else to accomplish His will, uncommitted Christians can cause delay and frustration for many people and projects when they decide to change directions.

You see when a Christian claims to be commitment phobic and laughingly uses that as an excuse for not fulfilling an obligation they have become Satan's tool to discourage and over-burden other Christians.

A preacher with great spiritual character stated: "The key to moving forward for the Lord is commitment. The moment I make a commitment God moves forward in my life." And the key is making a commitment to God when we agree to do anything for anyone...not a commitment, per se, to the person asking us to accomplish a matter. If we have discerned a matter is God's will for our lives our commitment--a vow--should be made to God, which will keep us from quitting when either people act like imperfect people or finances get trying.

Think for a minute what your life would be like if God were as faithful to fulfill His commitments to us as many of us are in fulfilling our commitments to Him. God promised to supply our need but maybe something has come up and it isn't convenient today. God said if we call on Him He will answer and show us great and mighty things...but maybe God decided today was a good day for a picnic, a day to relax away from all the questions.

"Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" Ecclesiastes 5:5-6

The word vow in these verses means 'PROMISE'. These verses leave me with the knowledge of why so much work which was committed or promised to God has been destroyed. 

There was a day when the word promise meant we didn't go back on what we said we would do...no matter what else came up that looked better or what came up that tried to stop or hinder us: A time when people knew they could take a person at his word. That was a day when contracts didn't need to be signed and you never entertained the thought that you may have to sue someone to fulfill his word...his promise. What happened? What changed? It certainly wasn't God or His standard for our behavior.

I can assure you from years of experience that I can't always see how God is going to enable me to complete a task I have made a commitment to. Often I get up in the morning and entertain the thought that physically I cannot fulfill my commitments that day. I entertain the thought only to find, as always, when I take the first step to get ready for the day God engulfs me with His strength I need to accomplish His will. And, oh so often, when I entertain the thought of stopping a project because of lack of finances--a project that I knew was God's plan--I stop and recommit and watch intently for God's provision...which always comes. 

From years of experience I can, with assurance, give you the key to making commitments that you won't break: 

1Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

Colossians 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

Colossians 3:23-24 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

Make your goal in life to glorify God and make your commitments to God before you make them to man...and your focus will stay where it needs to be...up to God and out to others. When we do so God moves forward in our lives...blessing us, enabling us and trusting us to do His will.

And remember....

"Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" Ecclesiastes 5:5-6

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