Love's Call to Commit | Soul Stir | The Fellowship
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Soul Stir

Love's Call to Commit

April 05, 2022

Jesus was a visionary! He told of a new heaven and earth where there would be no more pain and suffering. He talked about way of living and loving that came out of faith, hope and love in and for God the Father. He shared about a kingdom that was at hand. A kingdom that was in many ways ... a kingdom for the least of these. A kingdom where sin is forgiven, grace is poured out, mercy reigns, truth leads and where love for all would be the greatest ethic. And then He so believed in the vision of this kingdom where restored humanity would live in eternal relationship with the triune God … that He gave His life for it!  Now that is commitment! Commitment is one of those words that we throw around with a level of frequency that waters down its true meaning.

Many years ago, I read the book The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge where he talks about the discipline of shared vision. When I think about my own commitment to the vision of the Kingdom of God, I sometimes wonder if I am truly committed. In Senge’s understanding, commitment is a destination that few have arrived while many are somewhere on the journey. From apathy to enrollment, there is a threshold where we are not sure it is worth the risk, the pain, the struggle and we decide that this is as far as we are willing to go. Read the list below from the bottom up … apathy to commitment!

  • Commitment: Wants it. Will make it happen. Will do whatever it takes. Even if it costs me everything!
  • Enrollment: Wants it. Will do whatever can be done within the “spirit of the law.”
  • Genuine Compliance: Does everything expected and more. Wants to follow the letter of the law.
  • Formal Compliance: Does what is expected, but no more. Goes along with the consensus.
  • Grudging Compliance: Does not see the benefit, so does only enough of what is expected and lets you know “I do not like it.”
  • Noncompliance: Does not see the benefit and will not do what is expected. I will not do it; you cannot make me.
  • Apathy: Neither for nor against. No interest. No energy. I just do not care.

When it comes to loving God and others … where are you? Apathetic? Formal compliance? Committed? When it comes to the mission of “becoming whole people who take the whole gospel to the whole world” … where are you? When it comes to your personal relationship with Jesus Christ … where are you? When you think of other places of responsibility in your life, relationships that you have given your all to … to love them … where are you? Commitment is a call from God to give ourselves to what matters the most.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you. 
John 15:13–14

-Pastor Jerry

 

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