Full commitment to Jesus is costly
It’s August and we are quickly winding down the end of the baseball season. For some, those who root for other teams, you may be pleased that this season is almost over. For others whose team would go to the playoffs if the season ended today are still excited about the remaining season. Suffice it to say that I am a big baseball fan. I love my Reds. But there are some things about baseball which drive me batty.
For example, one thing that drives me crazy is when these major league, multi-million-dollar-a-year players, are up to bat, get a ground ball, which is probably a routine play for some infielder, and so they just trot to first base. Maybe it is just because I was spoiled growing up watching those replays of real baseball players like Pete Rose, aka Charlie Hustle. Today, the only players hustling are those trying to make the squad and stay on the squad. But those players with the long-term contracts and multi-million dollar deals they get a hit and just walk down the line until they are called out. They already know they are getting their cash. They assume that they will be out before they get to first base so they don’t even put forth the effort.
Partial effort didn’t seem to exist in Jesus’ vocabulary. Partial faith was not an option. It is all or nothing for Jesus. Therefore, commitment is key.
One of the reasons we skip out, one of the reasons we settle for partial completion, for a job half-done, is that we don’t like the cost of full commitment. Now don’t get me wrong we do commit to some things. There are somethings, like our jobs or maybe our families, to which we are fully committed. But full commitment is still limited. Read these words from George Barna in his great book The Frog and the Kettle:
“Commitment is viewed negatively because it limits our ability to feel independent and free, to experience new things, to change our minds on the spur of the moment and to focus on self-gratification rather than helping others. People willingly make commitments only when the expected outcome exceeds what they must sacrifice as a result of that commitment.”
I think Barna is right. People make commitments only when what they will get is greater than what they have to put in. And when we think we aren’t getting our fair shake then we are quick to break our commitments and divide our loyalties. It certainly is true in many marriages these days. The minute something goes wrong, no fault divorce becomes an easier option than working toward full-commitment. Sometimes we say things like, “Well it just isn’t worth the time and effort.” So we settle for a partial commitment and we are satisfied with that.
But Jesus just doesn’t seem to be satisfied with partial commitments. Jesus demands our all. It is all or nothing and there is no in-between. The fact of the matter is we are always moving closer to God or further away from God, there is not standing still. We can just settle down in the middle and say, “Well, I have faith and I do this or I do that. And that is good enough.” Or we can’t say, “I’ve paid my dues. I have served on this and that and done this and that. So I will just step back now.” It doesn’t work that way. We can’t stay in the middle because the spirit is always moving. If we stop and the Spirit keeps moving then we are falling behind. So we are either moving closer to God, by being in God’s presence, by praying for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, by getting involved in the church or other ministries, or we are not doing those things and falling behind. Commitment is key and commitment involves a steep price.
Proverbs 4:7 states: “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.”
For example, one thing that drives me crazy is when these major league, multi-million-dollar-a-year players, are up to bat, get a ground ball, which is probably a routine play for some infielder, and so they just trot to first base. Maybe it is just because I was spoiled growing up watching those replays of real baseball players like Pete Rose, aka Charlie Hustle. Today, the only players hustling are those trying to make the squad and stay on the squad. But those players with the long-term contracts and multi-million dollar deals they get a hit and just walk down the line until they are called out. They already know they are getting their cash. They assume that they will be out before they get to first base so they don’t even put forth the effort.
Partial effort didn’t seem to exist in Jesus’ vocabulary. Partial faith was not an option. It is all or nothing for Jesus. Therefore, commitment is key.
One of the reasons we skip out, one of the reasons we settle for partial completion, for a job half-done, is that we don’t like the cost of full commitment. Now don’t get me wrong we do commit to some things. There are somethings, like our jobs or maybe our families, to which we are fully committed. But full commitment is still limited. Read these words from George Barna in his great book The Frog and the Kettle:
“Commitment is viewed negatively because it limits our ability to feel independent and free, to experience new things, to change our minds on the spur of the moment and to focus on self-gratification rather than helping others. People willingly make commitments only when the expected outcome exceeds what they must sacrifice as a result of that commitment.”
I think Barna is right. People make commitments only when what they will get is greater than what they have to put in. And when we think we aren’t getting our fair shake then we are quick to break our commitments and divide our loyalties. It certainly is true in many marriages these days. The minute something goes wrong, no fault divorce becomes an easier option than working toward full-commitment. Sometimes we say things like, “Well it just isn’t worth the time and effort.” So we settle for a partial commitment and we are satisfied with that.
But Jesus just doesn’t seem to be satisfied with partial commitments. Jesus demands our all. It is all or nothing and there is no in-between. The fact of the matter is we are always moving closer to God or further away from God, there is not standing still. We can just settle down in the middle and say, “Well, I have faith and I do this or I do that. And that is good enough.” Or we can’t say, “I’ve paid my dues. I have served on this and that and done this and that. So I will just step back now.” It doesn’t work that way. We can’t stay in the middle because the spirit is always moving. If we stop and the Spirit keeps moving then we are falling behind. So we are either moving closer to God, by being in God’s presence, by praying for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, by getting involved in the church or other ministries, or we are not doing those things and falling behind. Commitment is key and commitment involves a steep price.
Proverbs 4:7 states: “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.”
posted by Rev. C. S. Roberts at 9:02 AM
1 Comments:
It is so sad that our egocentrism sometimes affects our serving Jesus. But His commitment to us was total, and not for His gain, but for ours. There was a song that said, "If heaven was never promised to me, I would still serve Him". Maybe if we could stop counting the cost, and just consider what a joy and honor it is to serve Him, ministry would be what it should be.
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