Am I Committed

Taking up my cross everyday to follow Him...

Denying myself and my own wants...

Putting other people before myself...

Giving up things that distract me from the goal...

Did I know all of this before I signed up for the "Christian" life? Did I realize the sacrifice that it would take to follow Jesus? Is it supposed to be this hard at times? After knowing what I know now, am I still committed to being a follower of Christ?

Commitment is a scary word in society today. It's extremely hard to get people to commit to anything, let alone something that will change the way you live, think, act, and speak.

We all struggle with levels of commitment to certain things. We can commit to anything from our New Year's resolutions to the local PTA, but what determines that level of commitment is how hard it gets or what the results look like. One of the most common New Year's resolutions is weight loss. There is excitement and commitment at the beginning, but as time goes on it gets hard and the excitement runs out along with the commitment.

Following Christ has a similar pattern. We get saved and are excited about our new life in Christ. Life starts to get busy, we are hit with temptations and trials, and we are left wondering what happened. Our commitment to Christ doesn't mean that we are perfect, that we never mess up or fall flat on our face. What it does mean is that we keep our focus on Christ and that we try to live the life He calls us to and stay committed to Him.

Our military doesn't send one soldier to fight the war alone, and you shouldn't go into the fight alone either. When a soldier enlists, he really has no idea what lies ahead of him, but he is committed to the cause and he has a team around him. The body of Christ needs to work together as we all carry our cross with the our focus on the Savior. Even Christ allowed someone to help Him carry His cross. Don't be afraid to ask for help; surround yourself with people that will encourage you and help you up when you fall.