Commitment

Several years ago I was asked to be on a Board of Directors for an organization.  I gladly accepted the offer and, in the beginning, I was somewhat involved; however, as the months and years passed I became  less active.  Toward the end of my tenure I might have attended some of the meetings, but that was about the extent of my involvement.  When I look back on my time with the institution – it looks good on my resume, but that’s about it.  I didn’t really add anything to the organization and I can’t say that I made any significant difference in their mission.     I could display my Board Of Directors “Thank You” plaque, but in all honesty I didn’t deserve it.  I am sure that there are some Boards that promote ceremonial membership, but, typically, when most organizations ask you to join them, they are wanting more than your name, they want involvement.  They want us to do something to enhance their outreach.  They ask for our action as well as our reputation.  
The reason for this self-disclosure is the correlation to our Christian lives.  We can have our names on the roll of a local congregation and we can claim membership in the Lord’s church, but the only thing that will ensure our value to the people of God is commitment.  Unless we are doing something(s) we aren’t accomplishing anything.  When Jesus challenged His disciples He relied upon an Old Testament passage that “… you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”  (Mark 12:30).  Sure, Jesus would love to have all of us claim to be His disciples, but He wants more than our lip service.  As He confronted the hypocrisy of the Pharisees He took a page from Isaiah’s message when He said, “This people honors Me with their lips, but, their heart is far away from Me.” (Mark 7:6).  Talking about Christianity sounds great, but unless we are willing to do something for the mission of the Kingdom of God it doesn’t do a whole lot of good.
Jesus has offered us an opportunity to enjoy an abundant life here on earth and an eternal reward in heaven.  Jesus has promised that He will be with us and provide peace in a hectic world.  So, the question for us is, “What are we doing for the cause of Christ?”  Are we showing the love that we should have for others?  Are we teaching the truth of the Gospel?  Are we attending worship services so that we can praise God and encourage other believers?  
It is great to associate with the Lord’s church and to be a part of a body of believers, but let’s make sure we are doing “something” to promote His cause.  We all have talents and we all have opportunities; the issue is whether we are committed to making a difference.

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