Totally Committed

So many times, I've heard someone say: "You can count on me." or "Trust me, I won't let you down." Whether it is a co-worker, a family member, a friend, or a complete stranger, I have been let down at least as many times as I was told that I wouldn't be. I understand that human beings are capable of only a limited amount of reliability, even when their hearts are full of good intent. When I was twenty years old, just after I committed my life to following Jesus, I remember telling him that I was totally committed. My heart had changed, my life was sure to be rearranged, and I was ready for a brand new start. However, about three days after my spectacular conversion to the Christian faith, I broke sharply from the church as a result of being embarrassed during a forced public confession of my faith during a large Sunday service. I suppose the circumstances had surpassed the level of my commitment.

Consider the following verse: "I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6 ESV) If you're anything like me, you can hear the writer of this verse saying: "You can count on God, he is totally committed." So, what do we do with that in light of all the other let downs and empty promises we've had to deal with from the people who love us? What about the limit of our own commitment? As I have shared, even a commitment to faith can have limits. Why should we trust God that he will complete the work he started in us?

The answer lies in the text of the verse. Notice that the verse says "he who began..." not "he and I who began..." God's commitment to us is not dependant on our commitment to him. Let me say that in another way. God's total commitment to the spiritual development of our character does not depend on our ability to remain committed to him. All that is left is to take him at his word.

Looking back at the decision I made almost fourteen years ago, I can't help wonder what my life would be like if I had chosen to stay committed to God and to his church. However, God does not wonder such things. His commitment to my spiritual development included a rough period of almost ten years of teaching me to trust him. He began a good work in me long before I took notice. I want to encourage you to consider the commitment he has made to you, and the specific circumstances in your own life that prove you can trust him.