I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.—- Romans 12:1 (Amplified)

Commitment means to be dedicated to a course or an activity. It means seeing something through from start to finish. It is a promise one makes and refuses to back off from. Therefore it will not always be convenient since commitment is a sacrifice. However, as Christians, God has called us to a life of commitment – to Him and to one another.

There are various examples of people who exemplified commitment in the scriptures. Our primary example is the Lord Jesus Christ. He willingly chose to come to earth, leaving His glory to experience shame, rejection and hardship but remained focused through these challenges that we might be saved – Phil. 2:5 -8.

Another example is Paul who was totally committed to seeing the gentiles saved. He did not live his life for himself but for Christ. – Gal. 2:20.

It is however unfortunate that we live in a generation where commitment has been relegated to the background, even in the church. The truth is that without self-discipline and determination it will be very difficult to commit to any cause.

Sometimes people confuse having a strong interest in something or a cause with being committed to a cause, but there is significant difference between the two. An interest relates to having a liking in or for something while commitment involves taking active steps towards achieving a cause through sacrifice and devotion – commitment goes far beyond an interest.

Similarly, there is a difference between deciding to do something and being committed to doing it. For example a student can decide to doing a course but along the way they end up dropping out due to distractions, lack of studying etc. because they are not disciplined enough to be devoted and committed to that decision to study for a degree. Author Charles Stanley wrote in his book on confronting casual Christianity that many marriages suffer because many couples only make decision to be married but not committed to their marriages. We must back up our decisions with commitment to seeing it through.

As Christians, the decision we made to follow Christ is wonderful. However, our calling goes beyond that – we have been called to a life of total commitment to our Saviour, which is why Roman 12:1 teaches that we make our lives a living sacrifice. And true commitment does not withdraw because of difficulty or challenges; this is why commitment requires some form of sacrifice.

Areas we need to show commitment

  1. We must be committed to God and only Him – Luke 9:23-24, Mark 12:30.

Commitment to God must come from our hearts because God desires our all. Total commitment means Jesus is our sole authority. It means surrendering our will to His will. It means being dedicated and becoming an obedient follower of Christ.

  1. We need to be committed to our personal spiritual growth.

As Disciples of Christ, we should be keen learners who are willing to keep improving and learning about the ways of God. Paul said of himself that not that I have attained or I am already perfect but I press on – Phil. 3-12. We should arm ourselves with the same attitude, having a desire to know more about God’s word – Hosea 4:6. We should be committed to being knowledgeable in the word of God. This should move us to having a daily devotional life, setting aside time to pray and also meditating on God’s word day and night – Josh. 1:8.

  1. We need to be committed to our local Church.

Commitment to church can be split into five key areas:

  • Church Attendance:

We should not forsake God’s people and make it a habit to be in the Assembly of God’s people. This is so that we can sharpen each other and also learn from one another – Heb. 10 -25

  • Church Growth:

We must be committed to seeing to it that the church grows by reaching out to people and inviting them to church. We should not give up even when the signs are not encouraging.

  • Church Needs and Service:

We must be committed to give our tithes and offerings so that the work of God will continue – Mal. 3:8-10. We must also give so that God’s servant needs might be met. God rewards our giving. In service, we must make ourselves available because the pastors can’t do everything by themselves. Our service is an act of commitment to God. We are not doing it to be applauded by men but to the glory of God. We should be dedicated rather than having the notion to just helping. Helping is different from commitment because helping is more of doing something on our own terms rather than rendering our service as a sacrifice to God.

  • Church Brethren:

We should be committed to loving the servants of God and one another lifting each other up in prayers and being attentive to their needs.

  • Soul-winning:

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that wins soul is wise – Pro.11:30. Soul winning is an instruction to all Christians and we must be committed to it.

Benefits of Commitment to God

Deut. 28:1-5 highlights the benefits of obeying and committing to the instructions of God. We are promised blessings in our work, in our going out and coming in. In addition, as we remain committed to God, He also will be committed to us – Deut. 7:9.

In conclusion, no one is born with commitment, it is an attitude that is developed and cultivated. Therefore, a life committed to God must be purposefully lived.