Then he said to another, “Follow me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
- Luke 9:59-62
In my observation of today’s culture, I am learning that it is easy to quit. Marriages, sports, jobs—you name it—people are deciding that perseverance is harder than just throwing in the towel. Athletes change schools for a more advantageous opportunity, employees change companies for better opportunities and people leave marriages because they lack the desire to work on harmony and excitement in the relationship. People are even challenged to remain committed to Christ when life happens in a tough way.
Commitment is all about maintaining consistency and presence despite emotions or outward circumstances. Commitment says when things get hard, we don’t give up. Commitment says, I am going to remain faithful to the LORD.
I love the story laid out in the above passage of Scripture in Luke because it gives us a good picture of what it takes to be committed. Commitment requires resolve and focus. The men in this passage missed the mark, as we all do at times, but Jesus shows us a way to stay faithful to what He has called us to. In order to maintain commitment, we must:
To further illustrate my point, I love the following story about true commitment: When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions, he took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military venture. Ordering his men to march to the edge of the Cliffs of Dover, he commanded them to look down at the water below. To their amazement, they saw every ship in which they had crossed the channel engulfed in flames. Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of retreat. Now that his soldiers were unable to return from where they came from, there was nothing left for them to do but to advance and conquer! And that is exactly what they did.
This passage in Luke is about being a committed follower of Christ and a disciple maker. God is calling us to be fully committed to Him and fully committed to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Who is God calling you to invest in spiritually? Would you commit to writing down the names of five individuals in your sphere of influence, pray and ask the Lord who you are to engage with the Gospel, equip with God’s Word and, eventually, empower them to become a disciple maker? Let’s go!
"It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through."
- Zig Ziglar