Christian Articles Archive
The Freedom of Commitment
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
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on Colossians after Easter
"I'm not ready for marriage. We'll just live together
for a while and see how we like it." A pastor sure hears
a lot of baloney when he challenges people to make commitments.
Hear another. "I can't really commit myself to coming Sunday,
but if nothing comes up, I'll try to make it."
It's one thing to politely escape from somebody pressuring us.
But a persistent refusal to make commitments is a red flag, a
cop-out, an excuse to be selfish, a sign that we need to grow
up. We shout, "I want to be free," but it has a hollow
sound.
Some years ago, the great pianist Vladimir Horowitz played to
standing-room-only crowds in Russia for the first time since he
had fled to the West. His music was so full of life, so flowing,
so effortless! Yet this very freedom of expression on the piano
came from a firm commitment he made seventy years before--the
commitment to practice. Commitments give us freedom to do the
things we really desire.
The freedom to drive a car requires a commitment to safety or
eventually a plaster cast will keep us from the gas pedal. The
freedom to enjoy an enurding family requires a firm "I do."
The freedom to experience a thriving church requires the commitment
to make it great.
"I don't know if I'll be able to ..." has the illusion
of freedom, but it enslaves us to the spontaneous, the spur of
the moment, the chance occurrence. Sure, lots of people live
this way. But look at them. Too often, their lives don't count
for anything important.
Making commitments keeps me progressing toward my goals. The
lined pages of my appointment book are the key. The people and
goals most important to me I put on the calendar first. If I
find a prior commitment, then I'm forced to reassess my priorities
so trivial pursuits don't usurp what's really important. Commitments
keep me free to give my best to God.
What do you value most? Family, pleasure, work, God? Make explicit
commitments to your highest goals so you'll be free to attain
them.
Copyright © 1985-2010 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
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