Commitment

Commitment:

It separates the “Doers” from the “Dreamers”

Foundational Scripture:

Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Pro 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

This morning we will establish “just what is commitment”. We will find out just how vital commitment is in our everyday relationships. We can not be successful in life, nor can we be successful Christians without commitment. I hope to expose areas that we need to commit afresh and anew, and then teach on how to identify areas in which we can strengthen our level of commitment.

The difference in a contribution and total commitment is usually the difference in failure and success.

A chicken and a hog were walking past a church building one day when they noticed the Sunday morning sermon posted on the outside bulletin board, "Helping the Poor." They walked a ways when the chicken suddenly came across with a suggestion. "Say, Brother Hog, why don’t we give all the poor people a nice breakfast of ham and eggs?" The hog thought a moment and replied, "That’s all right for you to say because for you it is only a contribution, but for me, it’s total commitment!"

I. Commit Your Way Unto the Lord.

A. How can I do something until I really know what it is?

1. Commit = Bind oneself to a pledge. Entrust to another’s care

2. Commitment = A pledge based upon honor

B. The world has never seen a leader who lacked commitment. Commitment gives us new power. No matter what comes to us – sickness, poverty, or disaster – we never turn our eye from the goal.

C. What is commitment? To each person, it means something different, however the principle remains the same.

1. To the Boxer, it’s getting off the mat one time more than you’ve been knocked down.

2. To the marathoner, it’s running another ten miles when your strength is gone.

3. To the soldier, it’s going over the hill, not knowing what’s waiting on the other side, with reckless abandon to self, yet committed to a cause.

4. To the missionary, it’s saying good-bye to your own comfort to make life better for others.

5. To the Christian, it’s all that and more because everyone who is watching your life is depending upon you to get back up again, run that ten miles more, to display courage when faced with the unknown, and to die to self for the betterment of others.

Example: There is no such thing as partial commitment. When the pilot of a giant airliner is speeding down the runway, there is a certain point where he cannot decide to remain on the ground. When he crosses that line, he is committed to the air, or the plane crashes disastrously. That pilot cannot change his mind when the plane is two-thirds of the way down the runway.

Story : Commitment. It is a word that we seem to be hearing a lot about lately. One automobile manufacturer says that they are "committed to excellence." Professional athletes, business persons, executives, etc., are all committed to their occupations.

Recently, I read a story of commitment that touched my heart and made me think of commitment in marriage. Most married people have affirmed a commitment to their spouse that goes something like this:

"...To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part...."

Robertson McQuilkan’s commitment in marriage was severely challenged when his wife, Muriel, contracted Alzheimers disease. Mr. McQuilkan was president of a Bible college and seminary when he was faced with a mountainous decision. He could not continue as president and take appropriate care of his wife who at this point could only speak in phrases and words and was prone to irrational behavior. She was afraid when she was not with her husband. Even his most trusted and godly friends advised him to put his wife in an institution for the sake of his ministry. After all, how could he retire when things were going so well and he was only 57 years old?

When the time came, McQuilkan’s decision was firm. It took no great calculation. It was a matter of integrity. He commented, "Had I not promised, 42 years before ’in sickness and in health... till death do us part’?" Later he would go on to write of the joys and blessings he had received as a result of the special time spent with Muriel.

Commitment is a foundation for successful Christian living. The Lord is going to stand behind His promises-He is committed to what He has said and done. For the Christian there can be nothing less. Commitment is an absolute necessity.