Commitment?

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6 ESV) 

So, my job is writing about commitment for this Conversation With God. He’s funny with his timing. Just yesterday, two days after the submission deadline, he showed me how thoroughly I had been committed to myself above anything or anyone else, which is probably something all of us see about ourselves at some point. Clearly, I am meant to unpack that in this devotional.

One way or another, every human is a fiercely committed person, and scripture makes this clear in stark terms. The Lord or Baal. God or Mammon. The Spirit or the flesh. Take the mark or don’t. Take your stand in the lentil field or don’t stand at all. There is no in-between space, no slot for half-heartedness. I can’t be whole-heartedly committed to Jesus AND my own desires; either I serve one or the other. Service to one is hatred to the other.

For my part, I saw clearly for the first time yesterday how painfully egotistical I have been my whole life, how all the rank waters of my flaws and weaknesses flow from that putrid source. I have lived committed to what I want and how to make myself feel good, and that is a destructive path for myself and everyone around me.

Faithfulness is basically a synonym for commitment, and it’s the word the Bible favours if I want to dig into it. God himself is the model for what it ought to look like, of course. Through all the difficulties of dealing with me and my self-absorption, no matter the cost to pull me out of the downward spiral, he stays with me. He will be faithful to complete the good work he began in me, until the great and glorious day of Christ Jesus when I will finally be without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. He is committed to me because he is committed to Jesus, and I am in Christ.

Yesterday (two weeks since I started writing this) I had a conversation with a young man who is getting ready to propose to his girlfriend. I was impressed with his understanding of the commitment marriage involves. It’s a long race that doesn’t always feel good, and that’s been my problem with being committed to Jesus; I let my feelings drive me, which, honestly, is synonymous with walking in the flesh. Lord, have mercy and purify me with hope.

Fred Swartz

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3 (ESV)

For Reflection

• How can you tell if your commitment is to God or to yourself?

• What does hoping in Jesus in the midst of our own wobbly commitment look like?