This year will be the 19th anniversary that I have been married to my friend, companion, and wife. We have lived some awesome days and some incredibly blessed days together. These last few years have not been as much fun for various reasons but the stress has not separated us. We are still drawn to each other and we are still committed to this life God has given us together. We promised each other that we are committed to this marriage until God separates us in death. Thankfully God has given us much grace and mercy to follow through on that promise up to this day. In a world where opinions change daily, where people will change jobs every few years, and where marriages are fewer with more ending in divorce commitment seems to be tied directly to how we feel at the moment. Mad at your boss? Quit. Spouse not living up to your perfect expectations? Leave. Worse yet no attempt is even made to commit by many. The many commit to nothing dodging all responsibility or requirement to serve anything or anyone other than themselves.

There is one commitment that no one will be able to dodge forever and that is the commitment to Christ. No amount of self service and avoiding a commitment to others is possible in the end. God likes paradoxes. He has a rule that the person who serves others (the person who is last) will be the person most highly exalted (the person who is first). God also likes to set the example so he humbled himself and took on the form of man to serve all of humanity.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11 ESV

Because Christ is the name above all others because he committed his very life to the world we should rightly submit to his leadership and authority. We should commit to him and his cause. When I married my wife 19 years ago I did so with the knowledge that this commitment would consume the rest of our lives. It was not a commitment taken lightly.

While I have been married for these 19 years I made a greater commitment even earlier in my life and that was to Christ. I acknowledged him as the King of kings and as the rightful owner of my service and devotion more than 30 years ago. This commitment while not fully understood at that time has grown over the years and the commitment has become even more powerful as I mature and more fully grasp the power and majesty of God.

My hope is that anyone and everyone reading these words would commit to Christ now in the time of grace. Saving grace is at hand already secured. Serve him freely and commit to his plan because he deserves the commitment. Christ will change your life for the better and for eternity.

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:8-10 ESV

There is only one way to make this commitment and that is by speaking out loud what is happening in your heart. The body and the spirit will agree with God who will then act to transform your selfishness into a new saved life that cares for others. It is a scary idea to give up your plans but really how is that going anyway? My plans and commitment to myself always ends in a mess of broken relationships.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 ESV