COMMITMENT--by Randall Burton

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust...

In this passage Paul was warning young Timothy of the Gnostic doctrinal error that was challenging the church at that time. The Gnostics were a Hyper-spiritual cult that denied the incarnation of Christ and believed that supernaturnal knowledge was more important than anything else in the natural world.

So what does this verse have to do with me? Have you ever met someone who cant keep their word or personal commitments? They will commit to something until something better comes along. This type of thinking can become a smokescreen for a false sense of duty, and it can lead to a drift from accountability.

I have seen it far to many times in the church,  someone signs a commitment form to serve in a ministry and when the assigned time comes for executing their commitment, they just blow it off because something better has come along. It's easy for them to do this especially if its something that appears to be more spiritual than their first commitment.

Heres an example of what I am talking about; "pastor I know that I signed up for the nursery ministry for the entire month, but I was asked to speak at the ladies connection meeting at the church across town this Sunday, so can I be excused from serving in my prior commitment to the nursery?" As a pastor, what are you supposed to say? If you remind them of their prior commitment, you are being legalistic and unspiritual, because you should know that ministering at another church is far more important than serving in a nursery with babies who have less spiritual understanding than adults do.

In extreme cases we have witnessed people make these lofty commitments and then allow things less spiritual come up, such as, theme parks, ball games, concerts, fishing trips... you name it and they will run to it. Its not that these people, don't love the Lord, its that they are spiritually immature and are blind to the importance of their commitments. Our commitments are never so important as the ones that we make that benfit our own state in life. But what about our selfless commitments to others? The type of commitments that we make to someone else, but we get little or no return from them? That is a real test of our commitment level. When you pour yourself into a youth ministry or a nursing home ministry with no guarantee of a return from it. Are you able to keep those commitments even when something better comes along? Remember what James said in James 1:8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

If you cannot keep your word and your commitments when it is inconvenient, then what will you say to a Holy God who kept his commitment to you on the cross when it was inconvenient for Him? Here is a great verse to remember before you make a commitment to someone or something; Matthew 5:37 Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Anything beyond this is from the evil one. (NLT). Even with this verse in mind, we cannot use it for an excuse to be uncommitted.

Are you a committed person? Is your word your bond? Do you keep your appointments?  When you say that you will be there at 8PM, do you show up late or not at all? Think about these things the next time before you say yes I will.--written by Pastor Randall Burton