A chicken and a pig were walking down the road together. They passed a sign for a local diner advertising its breakfast special: “Ham and Eggs – $2.95!” The chicken said, “That’s our whole contribution to society: breakfast food!” The pig replied, “For you, it may be a contribution. For me it’s a total commitment.”
Common sense reveals that some of the best things in life demand effort and prove worthy of whatever amount of labor we endure in the pursuit. The best relationships require work. The best businesses have been built on the blood, sweat, and tears of their leaders. Even our spiritual growth is reflective of our faithful investment.
Jeremiah 30:21 Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me—for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the LORD.
We don’t want to hear it, but the fact of the matter is that following God involves sacrifice, effort, devotion. We much prefer the spiritual growth plans that guarantee complete maturity in “15 minutes a day!”
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt
Successful men and women understand that successful results flow from being deeply committed to the right things. As followers of Christ, the single most important commitment of our lives is to God.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Yes it is difficult to commit to anything, especially following God, but look at the alternative. If you choose not to serve the Lord, you will not be exempted from service. If you do not serve the Creator, you will unavoidably serve some part of the creation. But the gods of success, position, and possessions are cruel taskmasters and never deliver the profound satisfaction they promise. God alone is the worthy object of our total commitment, and if we direct our highest commitment to anything else, we commit idolatry.
Joshua 24:14-15 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
How many of you remember the movie City Slickers with Billy Crystal who plays Mitch? Remember the scene where Curly asks Mitch if he wants to know the secret of life and holds up his index finger? He says that the secret to life is pursuing one thing and that is something that we each must figure out for ourselves.
Well Curly was right. There is only one secret to life and that is to follow Jesus. If we first seek His kingdom, everything else falls into place.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Jesus urged his followers, “Take up your cross and follow me.” He knew better than anyone else how elusive the great prize is. But he also knew that anything less than a total commitment to achieving the prize would not suffice. In the Christian life total commitment to the cause facilitates success.
I urge you to commit, from this day forward, your life to Jesus.
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