Commitment: July 22, 2010

Today's Word for Thursday July 22, 2010

COMMITMENT

DEFINITION

The act of committing; pledging or engaging oneself; a promise; obligation.

SCRIPTURE

"Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established." Proverbs 16:3

Jesus said: "Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin." John 8:34

"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." II Timothy 2:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

These three scripture verses give us three ways to look at the word COMMITMENT. First, we are to commit our works to the Lord daily. Secondly, they are a reminder to us that when we commit sin we become a slave to sin. And finally, we are told in these verses that what we learn from studying God's Word we should commit or give these words to others who can then teach others.

There are numerous times every day when a commitment to or for something is necessary. The most important commitment that one can make in a lifetime is a firm commitment to God. This is the first step in living a life that is pleasing to God. Making a commitment to God is more then going to church, reading the Bible or even praying. A commitment to God is having a relationship with God's Son, Jesus Christ. This is what makes Christianity meaningful, unique and different from all other religions. As we develop a closer relationship with God, He will be able to work in and through us and then we can experience God's blessings.

Other commitments that are important to make in life is a commitment to your spouse, your family, your neighbors, your church, your school and your job. These commitments are vital for one to live a rewarding and fulfilled life. It means more then a promise. A commitment requires action and consistency.

We remember when one of our children was in high school and she was very active in sports as well as being her high schools student body president. Frankly, she came to a point in her life in her senior year when she was "burned out" with sports and she wanted to quit. She had made a commitment to be on the team and she had a leadership role to play on the team. As parents it was our responsibility to remind her that she had made a promise to her school, her coaches and her teams, and she needed to realize that she had an obligation to fulfill that commitment.

She decided to honor her commitments and in return God honored her with success. She never quit and she gave her best to fulfill all of her commitments. This is what commitments are all about. Everyday we make commitments. How many do you honor? Commitments are a promise and an obligation.

As Christians we have committed our lives to Jesus and we have a responsibility to share our faith and spread the good news of the gospel. If all Christians were truly committed to doing this, our churches would be full and overflowing. What about your own family? Are you committed to sharing your faith and teaching your children about Jesus and His gift of salvation to them?

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 6:1

Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

PRAYER

We come to You today Lord, to renew our commitment to You to live this day honoring Your name. We ask for strength that only You can give for us to meet every commitment we have made for today. We commit our works, our deeds and our thoughts to You. We pray that You will give us opportunities to help others to know You as their Lord. We ask You to bless our family, our friends, our church and the world we live in with a special blessing today.