“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

The following conversation should amuse you even if you have heard it before. While walking past a church, a chicken and a pig read the marquee, “Please help the poor! What will you give?” The chicken looked at the pig and said, “I know what we can give eggs and bacon.” The pig turned to the hen and replied, “Sister for you that is an offering, but for me, it’s total commitment.” 

The pig’s perspective is what God needs from His people—total commitment. He needs us to give up everything—to abandon ourselves for His cause. After all, isn’t that what He did for us?

It’s not enough to give God our leftovers. He deserves the first, the fresh, and the best of all that we have and do. 

Total commitment means sincere and steadfastness of purpose. It’s the act of binding oneself wholeheartedly to a course of action. It also means setting your mind and keeping it fixed on specific goals. You are sold out for the cause; there are no thoughts of looking back or giving up.

Whole-hearted devotion seems to be elusive in our present society. People make agreements and sign contracts without having any intention of fulfilling their obligations. This kind of behavior describes a lackadaisical and careless mindset, one without moral values.

On the contrary, God places a high value on commitment and loyalty. He warns in Ecclesiastes 5:5 (NIV), “It’s better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.” God rewards faithfulness. “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’” Matthew 25:23 NKJV.

Because they believed in their causes, men and women have given up their lives. One that readily comes to mind is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was dedicated to civil rights and became a sacrificial lamb for the movement.

Let’s look at a few biblical examples of total commitment. Ruth, the Moabitess, gave up her culture, her gods, her relatives, and her homeland to ensure that her mother-in-law, Naomi’s, latter days would be her best days. We love to quote, Ruth’s poetry of commitment: 

“Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17 (NKJV)

It’s a beautiful thing, but have we ever made this kind of commitment? God rewarded Ruth with a book of the Bible named after her, a child who blessed the world, and placement in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Paul, a New Testament believer, gave up his religious ways to become committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this commitment, he suffered unimaginable ways, some of which he recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:22-28. Though he suffered, he declared, “If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.”

My sisters and brothers, even though we are living in perilous times as Paul describes in 2 Timothy 3, God still requires total commitment from His servants. Will you be counted among the faithful when He returns? 

Pray: Lord strengthen my resolve to love You, Your people, and Your ways. Amen.

Posted by on Wednesday, July 8th, 2020 @ 12:05AM
Categories: Empowering, Encouragement, Inspirational
Tags: Christian literature, commitment, dedication, loyalty