‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’ Galatians 2:20 NIV
Many people today want to get as much as they can for themselves while giving as little in return as possible. They want to be there for their friends in the good times, but absent in the not-so-good ones. Sadly, national statistics confirm this lack of commitment. Volunteering for worthy causes has been declining steadily. Why? Partly because people don’t want to put themselves on the line, or be pinned down by responsibility. And then there are the people don’t want to do something for free when they could be paid for it. In addition, there are the folks who mostly view opportunities to serve others as obligations, and therefore avoid them.
We’re a sound-bite generation with a short attention span, accustomed to 15-second adverts and fast food. We want our sermons simple, entertaining, and ‘feel-good’. Yes, radical commitment is rare—but it’s what God requires of you. Commitment means your promise is binding whether it’s convenient or not. Let’s look at a few examples today and tomorrow.
Commitment to marriage. Marriage, as God sees it, isn’t a 50/50 arrangement. It’s a mutual agreement to give 100% of ourselves. It’s a lifetime covenant between you and your spouse: ‘for better or worse; for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health; until parted by death.’ And that covenant is a lot easier to live up to when both partners have learned, like Paul, to say, ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’ That means dying to self-interest is the key to great relationships.
SoulFood: Ezek 34–36, Luke 20:27–40, Ps 78:1–8, Pr 20:7–10
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©