"I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge, no one cares for my life. I cry to you, LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." Psalm 142
Over the years as I have worked and worshipped in the church I have become convinced that one of the most essential components of faith is also one of the most misunderstood. What is that essential? It is commitment.
The misunderstanding centers around the notion that you can be "sort of" committed or "mostly committed". That makes about as much sense as believing you can be "sort of" pregnant or "sort of" sky-diving.
The misunderstanding centers around the notion that you can be "sort of" committed or "mostly committed". That makes about as much sense as believing you can be "sort of" pregnant or "sort of" sky-diving.
Commitment means "devotion to a cause or a person" or "loyalty given to a cause or a person" or "joining exclusively to a cause".
Commitment begins when a person chooses to become devoted to a cause or to a person and in so doing excludes or subordinates all other loyalties to that choice. In truth, whatever you are committed to is your god. But in this case, the Psalmist is talking about making a commitment to trust God for salvation and becoming devoted to Him. But now that we are on the other side of the cross, that commitment is to be devoted to God through trusting Christ to deliver you from your sins,
That commitment should be made as a decision of the will because you understand He is the only Way to God and therefore, the only hope for Heaven. When you make that decision in that way you give your loyalties completely to Him and eliminate all other options. Jesus said, "Any man having put his hand to the plow and looks back is unworthy of the Kingdom of God." God said, "You shall have no other gods before me."
Commitment requires you to be all in for Christ. Faith is a plunge from whatever you trusted before into a total hope in the grace of God.
You are either fully committed or you are not committed at all. Are you committed?
That commitment should be made as a decision of the will because you understand He is the only Way to God and therefore, the only hope for Heaven. When you make that decision in that way you give your loyalties completely to Him and eliminate all other options. Jesus said, "Any man having put his hand to the plow and looks back is unworthy of the Kingdom of God." God said, "You shall have no other gods before me."
Commitment requires you to be all in for Christ. Faith is a plunge from whatever you trusted before into a total hope in the grace of God.
You are either fully committed or you are not committed at all. Are you committed?
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