Commitment is the effort to succeed that takes place between the decision to succeed and the success.
"I do."
These are just words today. "What's the big deal? It's just words. What's really important is that we love each other." No. This life drains emotion and challenges our ability to love, trust, and hope. Sometime you may look at that person and think that you don't, you can't love them anymore. But there's always hope if there has been an "I do." "I do" goes beyond the circumstance and stands no matter the storm. Commitment is not words, it's a promise and an allegiance of the heart.
"I do" is the flag on the ship, stating the colours. "Oh they're that kind..." Yes. Yes we are. We are the kind that stand for each other to the death. When it so storms that some are risked to the depths of this sea, we will not leave one for dead. We are willing to face the depths of death to save one another. We fly the colours of honour, unselfishness and character. Each one toils on this ship with one hand, whilst the other holds a sword, prepared always to defend those to the which we have said, "I do." We live to give to each other, not pillage for ourselves. This is not a cut throat crew, it is a courageous victorious dynasty of hope. Don't waste your time trying to turn us on each other. We serve together for God and for others. We are that kind. Yes. Yes we are.
"I do" is the testifier, risking his neck for the sake of justice and salvation against the accuser. No you can not have this one, oh vile injustice, for we do so solemnly swear to tell the whole truth. And as you do witness you do commit yourself to the testimony of your heart, delivering the captive. But what if you "do" not? What if you are not so committed as you should be? What if many chained could have been cleared if your story was added to the weighing of the balances? Are you guilty of their judgment because you refuse to witness for the sake of their freedom?
"I do" is the martyr. As the torque of the rack steals the breath of the confessing saint, and the criminal that tries him requires "do you believe it now? Do You!?" The hero's voice echoes through the halls and cells... "I do! I do believe on Jesus Christ!" Burn him, hang him, impoverish him, but you cannot change that which is so founded and committed upon the Rock. Commitment goes to the grave, and beyond, unchanged in resolve.
Oh the wreak of this generation of so called believers, that won't risk a convenience for the name of Christ. Many died simply because they had too much honour in commitment to the Lord to deny Him! How their stomachs would turn at the lukewarm observance of our pathetic lace and satin dressed cotton candy scented Christianity. Too afraid to offend anyone to warn them that there's a hell. Too addicted to pleasure to risk a reputation in witness for Christ. Too in love with comfort to give wholeheartedly like the first churches did. There is no place for such a thing in His kingdom. You stood, oh Christian, and confessed His name, and were baptized into His death, and walk yet still in the stench of your old condemned life. You lied to your God when you said you would, when you said to Him, "I do." You were betrothed to Him, and yet you flirt with another. A renewal of commitment is required. A renewal to a relationship with God that says, "till death, and beyond, no matter the cost."
I do is only fulfilled with the dying breath, as the doer says, "I did." Your God, your spouse, your children and your brethren deserve such a commitment.
(A shelf full of memories to brighten hard days)
Do you promise? Before God, before witnesses, and before your own conscience do you so swear to the oath presented. Do you so swear to love when it's hard? Do you so swear to give yourself as Christ did? Do you say "I do"?
"I can."
The giant said, "I can defy God. I can say what I please." God sent a child to silence him. And as that loud defier of God thumped in collapse at the will of the victor, David stood upon him, took his sword, smiled and waved to the armies on both sides, and showed who can. Every "dog" has his day, so to speak, and every defier of God has his. Your day seems to be now, but actually, your day is coming.
"I can" echoes through the motivator to those who follow him, even to the depths of death and certain defeat. They believe he can, and he believes he can, and by their will, they will try to their last breath to bring it to pass.
Often, in a dire need for meaningfulness, we drown ourselves in the belief that we can do whatever we put our minds to.
Put your mind to growing wings. Let us know when they pop out.
Just because you think you can, and commit to it, doesn't make the cause worth the effort. But what and if we were to put that same blind ambition towards that which God has assured us cannot fail? What if we were to spend ourselves to save the people of the planet like we spend ourselves to save the planet. Man has an undying ever existing soul in need of the salvation in Christ. What good if we save the whole world and lose our neighbour's own souls? If we would take what investment of ourselves we have to commit, and buy stock only in that which God promised worthy of our lives, we would find that we indeed can do what it is we have committed ourselves to. Wouldn't you buy Google stock if you could go back 20 years? I know a God who has told us where to invest and to commit ourselves in this life so that we need not be ashamed of our commitments.
"I can" can do all things... through Christ which strengthens. A man once said to Christ, "If you can do anything please help." Christ replied, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes."
If it is the will of God it can be done. It can be done, and it can be done by you. Believe in the power of the One who demands the commitment, and then decide to fulfill the commitment. On your own, failure is sure. For to err is human. In Christ you can overcome, have victory, fulfil the will of God.
"I can" overcome enslavement.
Feasting and consuming beyond the point of remorse, yet still you crave. It never seems to be enough. It never seems to be full. The more you get, the more you want. They say, "Don't do drugs!" But they don't say, "Don't do fast food, potato chips and sugar." There is no warning label on the video game that says, "Caution, may addict you to the point of enslavement." It takes commitment to overcome self-destructive desires because we tend so strongly towards them. The need for commitment is because of the urging of our belly. Deny your self for the sake of victory.
The seduction of lust lures out the truth of our hearts as we walk this world. Each time another offer is presented another tug jerks us towards our own destruction, and commitment is all that keeps us from becoming a castaway.
(“whose god is their bellies…” – Php 3:19)
The world is a place of catering to the desires of our lust, and the only way to overcome it is commitment. It's time to stop making excuses. It's time to stop wasting away that bank account of time given. Cease the day while night is still a while away. Today, right now, look away from that which most enslaves you, and commit to forsake it. "I can!" ringing out from a decision to overcome is an inspiration to the one beside, and the countless that come behind. Who knows, you may be the one who starts a revival of commitment to redemption. Take back what is God's, and entrusted to you. You can overcome your desires.
We lost our ability to fulfill when we lost our desire to be filled full. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. The filling of the fullness of God is only available in a vibrant thirst for pleasing Him. When we decide to commit ourselves fully to pleasing God in righteousness, we will have the power in our spirit to overcome any carnal attack. Our lack of power is a direct conjunction with our lack of commitment to have that power which we by new-birth are promised access to.
"I can" can raise a good child today.
A child screams from his will within, "I can!" His mother as she raises her eyebrows, puts down her foot and guides that child's face to meet hers says, "Oh no you can't." It may be the best thing she ever taught him. Spoiled selfish immoral children grow up to be spoiled selfish immoral adults. It's a pretty simple process. Teach a child that he "can't" when he's young so that he has the character to commit and say, "I can do right" as an adult. You destroy your child's potential if you refuse to commit to tell him "no" when his little sinful heart desires wrong as a child. Because there is not commitment to right from the habit building age, there is no commitment to right in the habit living age. Commitment says, "I can" even though it may mean often saying, "you can't".
(Wouldn’t trade them, and wouldn’t change a thing)
"We can walk on the moon." One once said. "We can cure this." Said another. "I can" is the inner commitment of the soul living out in the effort to preform. "I can" dunked a ball from the foul line. "I can" flew an airplane across the ocean. "I can" mapped our continent. "We can" declared independence, built bridges across bays, and put men into orbit. The amazing is only probable to those who believe the amazing is possible and are willing to commit to see it.
"It may look like there's no hope, but we believe it can be done." - every underdog ever.
There is something so inspirational to man about someone who steps out and decides to risk it all because he believes it can be done, and that it can be done by him.
(Eve decided to crochet herself an afghan and it turned out beautifully)
I will.
What is your word worth?
"I will" said the soldiers, as they signed up, trained up, and suited up to be shot up and heaped up into piles on the shores of a foreign land. They had sworn an oath to protect their family, their land, and to destroy the evil that threatened these. Many more than you would like to count left a soon-to-be widow behind so that you could have your lifestyle today. If they could see what would become of the heritage they died to protect, as you skip out, drop out, and hang out, would they reconsider their sacrifice? Would it be right to spill the blood of honourable men to provide the life of these so dishonouring of their names, their freedoms, and their own bodies even? Are you a bad investment of an ultimate sacrifice?
"I will" said the Private, as the Captain asked him to stand unto the death for the sake of their orders being obeyed. Such honour seems folly to us today. Oh the chaos of a war where soldiers don't have the commitment to stand in obedience to the chain of command. This entire generation is an army of private generals, captaining their own ships headed nowhere for no reason. We are a society of bees each having their own hive, and ants each having their own ant hill. Only in the cold winter of trial will we see how commitment was so dire to our success.
(We have some very busy bees working in our backyard)
"I will" said every rebel ever. The source, brought down to hell, fallen, depraved and evil, educates our inner desires to follow his folly. "I will be this, or that, or what ever I will." You will be nothing, just like your master, unless you yield your will to the One who qualifies to wield it.
What is your word worth? Do you have a commitment? Be sure in your fulfillment of the oath.
Most of us today simply will not commit to anything or anyone. In our desertion of the fear of God we have deserted therewith honour and commitment. Will you or won’t you? The choice is up to you. You can always decide to fulfil that which you have linked your word to. In every worthwhile position of life there will be a requirement of commitment. “I will” shows up to work, and shows up on time.
“I will” stays until the job is done, and though the circumstances will change, the will of the one who will will not.
“I will” is trustworthy when it’s time to plan, because you know he will.
“I will” pays back that which is owed, and does what it takes to make it happen.
“I will” is the one you call when no one else will.
“I will” stays up until it’s done.
“I will” drives through the night.
“I will” keeps on running, though his side cramps, and vision becomes blurred, there is no quit in the committed.
“I will” brought a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to take away our sins. “I will” took the defrauding of character. “I will” took the mockery of fools. “I will” took the palms of soldier’s hands over and over again as they shredded the face of your Lord. “I will” was falsely accused and took it like a lamb to the slaughter. “I will” had His flesh torn from all over His body by weapons designed to torture the worst of criminals. “I will” didn’t stop, didn’t quit, didn’t hesitate to carry a cross on His whip torn back while all the world dared Him to stop. “I will” took those nails – spikes – an almost unimaginable horror. “I will” take these gasps of air so that I can whisper words to save your soul. “I will” took the reviling of criminals and watched the tears flow down His mother’s cheeks as her miracle baby died a undeserved death. “I will” heard the humble words of the dying thief to His right, who said, “will you remember me..” “I will.” He replied. And as the ground shook, and the sky darkened, and the signs of salvation broke forth through that land, He cried out, with all He had left, with the last drops of commitment to your salvation, “IT IS FINISHED!!”
Will you finish what He desires of you? Will you commit to go until the end, no matter the circumstances, to the very brink of death if need be for the Lord who would do whatever it takes to save you? Will you?
Will power is my challenge to you. It’s a challenge to commit yourself to commitment.
“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.” - D. L. Moody
By God’s grace, will you commit to being fully committed to the One who was fully committed to you?
Say “I do”, decide “I can”, and “I will” can continue until the end.
“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
- Psalms 37:5
“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
- Proverbs 16:3
- Scott
