What are you committed to?

What is a commitment? Some of the definitions of "commitment" are "the promise to do something in the future; the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose; the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action." What are you committed to? Is it an addiction, the world, your job, a hobby or maybe the pursuit of money? The reason that I ask is because I have seen and heard many people claim to be "committed" followers of Jesus Christ and yet their actions and words tell a different story.

Let me explain; when I find out that someone is a Christian, I really start to listen to what these people say and how they act. I'm not the only one who does this, so don't think that being a Christian is a free ride without scrutiny. The reason that most people, including myself, pay particular attention to self-proclaimed Christians is because people want to see something in Christians that they lack themselves. It's true that some people only want to see the Christian stumble and fall, but I am not one of them. What I want to see, in myself as well as other Christians, is commitment to Jesus Christ. When I say this, I not only mean in a proclamation of faith, but also in a lifestyle of holiness so that those that are lost can see Christ living in you (Hebrews 12:14).

As Christians, we have to be very careful what we say and how we act. People are watching and listening and trying to see if there is any difference between you and them. If there is not a difference, why then would they ever believe that Christ can make a difference in their lives? We are supposed to constantly examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) to make sure that we are living the way that Jesus told us to live. We are supposed to be the salt of the world (Matthew 5:13). Some food is not as good if it is not salted. In fact, some people will not eat it without a lot of salt. Have you ever tried to eat french fries that were unsalted? If so, how did they taste? If you're like me, you won't eat them. The salt is what makes them taste good. In the same way, Christians are the salt of the earth. If they have acted or spoken badly, how can they be made salty again? They cannot. Jesus tells us that they are no longer good for anything and will be thrown out and trampled. This is because no one will give their "Christian" profession of faith any more thought because it has already lost it's "saltiness."

Now let's examine who we are committed to. Who or what do we talk about and praise? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we ever share our testimony with others? Do we tell others about Jesus? Why not? I have observed that most people don't know enough about Jesus to talk to anyone about Him. What I normally see are "Christians" who know nothing about Christ. Instead, they talk about their "mighty" pastor or their "wonderful" church. When they talk to someone in a witnessing encounter, all they do is invite that person to come to their church to listen to their pastor. If one reads between the lines, here's how it sounds; "Hey, I am a Christian and I love the Lord Jesus Christ, but I don't know how to tell you about Him, so why don't you come to my church so that my pastor and tell you about Him." How often do you think that you're going to get people to visit your church that are not Christians already? If you don't know how to tell people about Jesus Christ, who He is, what He's done for you, what He's already done for them, why would they care to go to your church?

In further investigation concerning "the church" and "the pastor," I have been disturbed to see that a lot of people tend to go to church to socialize and to hear the pastor preach instead of to worship the Living God of the universe. Again I will ask, who or what are you committed to? How do you know if you are committed to Jesus? Those that are committed to Jesus are known as His disciples. Are you a disciple of Jesus? What is a "disciple"? A short definition of a disciple is "someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another." So then, if you are a disciple of Jesus, you should be a believer in His deity and His teachings and you should also be teaching others about Him by spreading His gospel message or doctrine. Jesus told us the way to know who His disciples are in John 8:31-32 NASB ( ³¹So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."). So, are you a disciple of Jesus or are you a follower of your pastor or your church? Which one is more important to you? Does it make you feel better to be known as a member of your church or that your pastor is really good at preaching or would you simply rather be known as a follower or disciple of Jesus Christ?

Where does your commitment reside? I ask you to examine yourselves so that you will know the truth. If you find that you are not really following Jesus Christ as you should, I implore you to repent, turn from your idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14) and follow Jesus Christ, read His Word and worship Him only. Do not put your faith into any man because they will fail you. Put all of your faith and devotion in Jesus Christ. He will never fail you and He is the only way! (John 14:6 NASB : ⁶Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.)