July 26, 2024
At the end of last year, our church invited people to join a 21-day prayer and fast beginning January 1st and ending January 21st. This was open to anyone who wanted to participate. You would choose something to fast from and then on Monday through Friday there would be a church service at 6 a.m. to attend, on Saturday the service would be at 8 a.m. and of course on Sunday you would just attend one of the church services.
I think I have said before that we have four granddaughters who live with us. Our oldest granddaughter, Libbi, is 14 and in the 9th grade. She asked my husband, Wayne, if he would do this prayer and fast with her. When she asked, he told her this was something she needed to think about because if she made this commitment she was not making it to the church but to the Lord.
Wayne told her if they started it they would see it through to the very end because commitments were to be taken seriously. He suggested she think about it and make sure this was something she really wanted to commit to. On New Year's Eve, Libbi came to Wayn, said she wanted to make this commitment and that she would see him at 5:45 a.m. As of today they have been at every service and have participated in fasting from sweets.
A commitment is dedicating yourself to something whether it be a person or a cause. Of course, as a Christian, our commitment to the Lord and our relationship with Him is the most important commitment we can ever make.
Libbi has always had a strong sense of determination and drive. She is extremely dedicated to doing her best at school. She is one who you don’t have to keep tabs on or remind her to study because she is motivated to do this on her own. She is competitive along with her motivation which allows her to strive to do her best whether it is school, cheerleading, tennis, or basically anything.
I have been so proud of her for first of all wanting to participate in the 21-day prayer and fast, but also for making and keeping her commitment. I know it has not been easy for her but she has dedicated herself to her decision and has invested her time and energy to see this commitment through.
God has really placed the word commitment in my mind and my thoughts through all of this process. I have thought about how almost everything in our life starts with a commitment. When I was in school like Libbi, I had a commitment to make my grades a priority. When you get married you have a commitment to the person you marry. When you have children you have a commitment to raise and nurture those children. If you have a job you have a commitment to your employer.
Every thing we do starts with a commitment. Commitments allow us the freedom to start a new routine, finish projects, have good relationships, navigate through changes, and even achieve goals. Our successes, whatever category they might fall into, basically come down to what we choose to commit to every day.
Commitment to God means that certain decisions are made in advance regardless of the circumstances. To me this means even when things are hard my commitment is to God and I trust Him. Even if my circumstances are painful, my commitment is to God and I will obey His word. Even if I am handling a difficult situation, my commitment is to honor God in that situation. Because of my faith and belief in God, I have made the decision in advance to keep my commitment. It is a deliberate choice that I have made to give each situation and trust the outcome to God.
Is that always easy for me? I have to say it is not. Is this my first reaction or thought when I am going through a tough situation? I have to again say it does not always happen that way. However, because I am a child of God, He gently reminds me of His love, care, and direction for my life whether it be from His Word, a sermon, a situation or a friend. He will never just leave me to figure it all out on my own.
In Proverbs 16:3 the Bible says “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” A commitment shows that you are willing to give your time and energy to something you believe in. The only person worthy of this type of commitment is the Lord. My commitment to God allows Him to strengthen me to become all He created me to be.
It also is evidence to those around me to know that He is the most important person in my life. When I commit my works to the Lord it means I am offering everything I do completely to Him. I am a work in progress. Some days my commitment level is extremely high and sadly other days it can be much lower. My goal is to have a strong and steady commitment to the Lord regardless of my circumstances. My desire is for others to see Jesus in me because of my commitment.
I am so proud of Libbi for making and following through with her commitment. My prayer is that she will see and understand more of what it means to commit your daily life, your work and all that you do to the Lord. I pray that she can see the difference and feel the presence of the Lord in her life. I hope this will be one of the stepping stones, memories, and blessings in her life that God will use to remind her of His faithfulness when she will commit to His work and purpose. I have been encouraged and motivated by Libbi’s desire to make and follow through with her commitment.
A commitment is a choice. A commitment to God is offering everything we have and do completely to Him. Commitment does not depend on your circumstances – it depends on who you trust in your circumstances. The question to ask yourself is, “Who am I committed to”?
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
