Joshua made a covenant with the people…. Joshua 24:25
We live in a society that sometimes discourages commitment. “We want to live together, but we don’t want to marry.” “We will be there, if we are able.” The pressure of this kind of environment can very quickly begin to shape who you become.
Imagine having breakfast with a college student and talking about his relationship with the Lord. At one point in the conversation he says to you, “I take my commitment on a day-to-day basis. I see what the day brings, and I go with what I feel.” What he is actually saying is: “I have absolutely no commitment. I make decisions based on the circumstances at the time.”
Commitment means that certain decisions are made in advance, irrespective of the circumstances: “I will honor Christ, whatever the pain and whatever the cost. I will obey God’s word, even when that is the hardest thing to do. I will do what God has called me to do, when it is draining as well as when it is fulfilling.” There is no other way to follow Christ.
Businesses understand the importance of making decisions in advance. The vast majority of effective organizations have some kind of mission statement. A company can never succeed if it keeps shifting its objective. You can’t decide what to do from scratch on a week-to-week basis. You have to have an overarching objective that enables you to prioritize your activities.
It is precisely the same at the level of your personal life. You have to know who you are, why you are here, and what you are supposed to be doing.
What are five decisions you have made in advance (or that you need to make), regardless of the circumstances?
