Who do you think got more joy at the Superbowl: the Baltimore fans watching on tv or the players for the Baltimore Ravens? In fact, I'll bet the contrast isn't even measurable. Yet, for some reason people continue to shun commitment and expect growing meaning in their lives. Why doesn't everyone realize that being a part of something bigger than yourself requires commitment?
Jesus spoke of this. He said:
Luke 14:26 (ESV)
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“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 7:14 (ESV)
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For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Luke 9:25 (ESV)
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For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
John 10:10 (ESV)
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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Jesus said it very plainly: I will give you life but it will take an absolute commitment to Me. Yet, people are trying to live meaningful lives without any commitment.
I see more and more people who live together without marriage thinking that the marriage commitment is unnecessary. They cannot understand why their relationships never fill them.
I know that there are plenty of people who go through the ceremony but never make a true commitment either. That's why there is so much adultery. Their marriages aren't fulfilling either but these marriages lack commitment too. The only way to have a truly fulfilling marriage is when two people are committed totally to each other. I don't believe this is hard. I believe it is impossible! At least, impossible without a commitment to the Lord which transcends all other commitments in life.
What Olympic athlete lacks commitment to his or her sport? The commitment makes winning or even making the Olympics sweeter. Why shouldn't we think the same for our Christian lives?
Let's admit it: The Christian life is boring when there is no commitment. It is only meaningful; only exciting when commitment is present.
The company of uncommitted Christians come to church when there is nothing else going on. The company of uncommitted Sunday School teachers teach when they can't find a reason for missing church. The company of uncommitted Deacons do not serve or even make Deacon's meetings unless they are given the opportunity to gripe. The company of uncommitted can't understand the committed because the uncommitted think they are doing all the same things yet less and less out of it.
I've heard that a professional football game is eighty thousand people who desperately need exercise watching twenty-two men who desperately need rest. The people in the stands are good for cheering and criticizing but never break a sweat during the game. The players don't have time to criticize because they are fully committed to the game.
Could Church be compared to a professional football game? Are there only a few people committed and working hard while the others watch and criticize?
Who has more life: The one who does nothing or the one who is committed? You know the answer but for some reason people remain uncommitted.
Herein lies the great deception: doing less makes life more meaningful. If that's the case you should hope you end up in a nursing home.
2 comments:
It is a beautifully written piece, of an angle, and a must angle, of the life of a believer expected of us. The title, though, I thought, should be worded more to the like of, “What is expected of a believer or As a believer, these things you are to …. or Commitments of a believer”.
As a side, why am I saying, perhaps, my friend, Ps Prentis, you should take a little more time to choose the titles of your entries, is that, you not only want, just the frequent readers of your blog to stumble upon your valuable faith input into the internet world. Appropriate words in the title, I believe, will bring up your entries when sincere seekers do a search of the internet, concerning the Faith. Your theology and doctrines of the Faith are right, and so, your writings help balance out the false voices in the internet world, which is now the common place, many seekers go to (instead of church, most unfortunately) for answers to their questions and doubts, or feeding. I have benefited much from your writings, and I thank you on the behalf of the Lord, for your time and effort made in freely contributing to the pool of right teachings of the Faith.
I just have had the chance to listen to a 6 parts video of the late Kathryn Kuhlman’s revealing of “Who she is” or “The secret of Kathryn Kuhlman”. She shared about her life in the Lord. Mentioned about her loneliness, that she was first of all, a woman, that she was every bit human, but she shared that she was committed to being the apple of the Lord’s eye. She talked about each time, when the thousands were gone, and she was back in dressing room, coming off her usual long gown, and slipping out of her shoes, she would have only one thing on her mind, and it was, “Lord, had I pleased you?” She addressed a crowd of many young people, and she spoke about commitment, “Whatever it takes…” She shared she loved people with the love of the Lord (and that is what is new about the love commandment – loving people with the love of the Lord, NOT our own, for our own, ought to have all directed at the Lord, as per the Greatest commandment, which is to love God with our all), and the Spirit of God would come and do the healing and the miracles.
Kathryn said when she meets the Lord in Heaven, she knew what she would say to the Lord; she said she would NOT be saying she loved the Lord. She said the Lord would have known of her love, and she sneaked in her definition of love and which is the definition discernible from the Word of God, and that was doing. She said loving was doing, and doing (yes, commitment). The Lord would have known if she loved the Lord, she did NOT need to say to the Lord, she loved the Lord. The two words, Kathryn said she would utter before the Lord when they meet would be, “I tried”. I liked how you, Ps Prentis penned such, “I don't believe this is hard. I believe it is impossible!. Well, I like to say, “We do NOT, NOT do a thing, just because it is difficult!” Kathryn Kuhlman held out that she lived, and we too should, a life of commitment, commitment to please God. She shared how it was hard, even impossible (same effect as your phrase!), but she would NEVER intentionally do anything to the contrary to pleasing God; in other words, she made mistake, but she honestly tried.
Cont...
Cont from above
Many of us claimed we had tried, but really how hard did we try. The “I tried” of Kathryn Kuhlman is giving of her all – in her words and the word of scriptures, a living sacrifice unto the Lord. How hard have we tried? Or are we going to listen to some false preachers, claiming to know the whole grace of God, and just bask in grace, and do nothing!? Or are you going to pattern after the masters like the Apostle Paul and the Lord Himself, Jesus Christ? If you are a believer, you have to live a life of commitment to righteousness, for the Kingdom of God is about righteousness (His righteousness), peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (from Romans 14:17). Again, do not be fooled by the same preachers who project right standing, but ignore right living. Jesus lived by both. I John 3:7 (CEB – Common English Bible) said this: Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous.
Amplified Version: Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous.
Oh, yah, the same preachers would tell, “That’s you are trying to get saved by works”. No, unless their Bible is different from ours, Eph 2 has a verse 10, it is NOT just Eph 2:8-9, but Eph 2:8-10. Verse 10 (Amplified Version) - For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Anthony Chia, high.expressions – Lord, I have tried, and I will continue to try, for that is what commitment is all about. Amen.
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