“Lord God Almighty, help me to be committed. Amen.”
Have you ever paused to reflect on your commitment—first to the Lord, and then to the people around you? How does our commitment to God look like? What are we looking for in a committed disciple of Christ, a dedicated child of God? Has our commitment become very shallow? I hope that through this perspective, I may be able to point us back to our commitment to the One who loves us so dearly and has made us His precious, beloved children. Ultimately, who we choose to please will reveal the depth of our commitment!
We are committed because of our consecration to God. We are committed not because of the fear of judgment but because of the love of God being poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us. (Romans 5:5b). We can only remain committed to the Lord as we rely on His strength, not our own, as the apostle Paul put it across to us: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” We recognise that we are weak, but God is strong. If we try to be committed based on our own means, we often fail and are discouraged. Without His love flowing through us, we cannot be committed. We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19). Of course, there must be a deliberate effort on our part but the Spirit of God will more than empower and enable.
If we are committed, we will make the effort to draw close to God—to know Him, love Him and magnify Him. You cannot know God without spending time with God. Our commitment to God must first begin with our daily walk with God. As we behold the faithful commitment of our beloved Lord Jesus, we are spurred on to renew our own commitment to Him. When Christ Jesus is the priority of our lives, our true commitment to Him naturally follows.
If we are committed, we will serve the Lord with diligence. We will explore various possibilities and commit our work to God in prayer. We know that we serve a true and living God. We seek to please God rather than ourselves or others. For instance, how would you feel when you entrusted an important piece of work to someone, only to find that it was not done as you had expected? Similarly, when we fail to give God the wholehearted commitment He deserves, we can imagine how grieved He must be. Our lack of faithfulness surely does not honour Him.
If we are committed, we will make sure that we are accountable to God for the work He has entrusted to us. As for me, I would prepare myself properly before each Shalom Discipleship Group (DG) meeting. I would prayerfully select the worship songs and write down my devotion sharing in advance. I would also prepare my Bible Study well so that I can impart God’s truths to my DG members.
Recently, I am reminded of two Bible verses that begins with the word “commit”.
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:5). This verse reminds me to entrust my commitment to God, allowing Him to work through it for His purposes. I will trust Him to give beauty to the commitment which I render to Him. He will act in accordance with His perfect will and way. “Commit my way to” is “to commit my commitment to; to entrust my commitment to.” He will provide me with the wisdom and strength in handling and managing that commitment.
“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3). This Bible verse teaches me regarding my work or my ministry. If I do not commit my work to the Lord, my plans will not be established. Before venturing out to do anything, I must seek God’s guidance. I am encouraged that He hears and answers my prayer. I am also encouraged that He knows how to lead and direct me, aligning my plans with His purposes. As I pray to God, listen to Him through His precious Word, and seek counsel from others with whom I share my work and plans, I am confident that He will establish my plans according to His will.
“Be committed” – I am called to be committed to the work entrusted to me. I trust God to provide me the wisdom and strength to manage it in a manner which will bring glory, honour and praise to His righteous and holy Name. By sharing all these, I hope to spur us to re-examine our own commitment to the Lord. Let us be truly committed to Him—not out of obligation, but out of love and a sincere desire to magnify His Name. Amen.
