I was reading in Psalms this morning and I kept thinking of David’s unwavering commitment to God. No matter how he struggled in his life his commitment to God was unwavering.
When it comes to us, we tend to have our favorite things. Whether it’s sport teams, movies, video games, some even have a particular allegiance. For example during football season, we can spot individuals decked out in their team’s colors. They usually cheer, shout, and passionately throw themselves into every aspect of the game.
Human beings are strangely willing to commit entirely to some trivial things. Yet, they are often unwilling to give up anything when it comes to God. Kingdom commitment demands that we have total allegiance to God over everything.
In Luke 9, Jesus interacted with three people who claimed they wanted to follow Him but lacked dedication. In His response, Jesus revealed what these persons commitment was instead of the Kingdom of God.
The first person wanted a comfortable Christianity that would not interfere with his lifestyle.
The second person asked to bury his father first, although his father who had not yet died. He actually wanted the security of having a fallback position if following Jesus did not work out.
The third man was plagued by indecisiveness as he tried to go back and say goodbye to his loved ones before becoming a disciple. This man’s double mindedness made him unfit for the Kingdom of God.
Our commitment to Jesus cannot be tied solely to what He can do for us and the blessings He provides. While blessings do come from obeying God, they should not be our criteria for seeking Him. We must prioritize Kingdom commitment over personal comfort.
We tend to put our security in finances, career, family, and other earthy things. Security is not wrong as long as it does not delay us from following Jesus. We must be willing to face inconveniences, uncertainty, and even suffering for Jesus Christ.
Kingdom commitment requires us to detract from our relationships so we can respond to God’s call immediately without distractions. Listening to family and friends can cause us to doubt our calling or feel guilty about a commitment to God. If we focus on what we are sacrificing and leaving behind to follow Jesus, we may lose sight of where Jesus is taking us.
Through the Psalms David shows us how to have a commitment to God through all of our struggles in life.
From Pity to Praise 