The Impact of Commitment

by David Rollert

Have you ever known someone who was afraid of commitment? Perhaps when his or her relationship starts to get more serious, and conversations about marriage come up, suddenly this person gets “cold feet” and quickly jumps out of the relationship. The relationship was great, but an increase of commitment is not what they wanted from it.

Something similar can happen in people’s spiritual lives. They like the idea of being part of Christ’s church, enjoying the support network and companionship. However, when asked to step up and be more committed to Christ and His church, they get “cold feet.” They withdraw from the church for a time, because they don’t want to be the “bride of Christ.” They prefer to keep Christ in the “friend zone,” wanting the benefits of a relationship with Christ without a commitment to Christ. They fail to realize the immense benefits of being fully committed to Christ and His church.

Benefit #1: It simplifies your decision-making process. When talking about money in Matthew 6:24, Jesus points out that if you try to split your loyalty between two masters, you will love one master and hate the other. You cannot serve two masters. When you decide to fully follow Jesus, instead of trying to balance your loyalty to Him with other loyalties, your decisions become much easier. When the saints are gathering, there is no question where you will be – you’ve already made that decision! When there is a conflict between a church activity and some other social or recreational activity, there is no question what you will choose. The fully committed person will choose the church activity every time.

Benefit #2: It allows you to build deep, lasting friendships with mature Christians. Our fellowship with one another is rooted in our fellowship with God. John states, “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:3, NASB). Being fully committed to Christ and His church means we naturally spend a lot of time with others who are fully committed. This builds close, strong friendships with mature Christians.

Benefit #3: Finally, it helps you weather the storms of life. No matter who you are, you will face difficult times in this life. The person who is afraid to commit to Christ and the church will feel like they have to face those difficult times alone. They feel isolated and like no one cares. They will often blame the church for not supporting them. What they fail to understand is that the church is not meant to chase people down and force them to accept love and fellowship. You need to build relationships such that when those hard times arise, you feel comfortable going to your brethren for help. Because we’re here for you.