"And He said to them all,
If any man will come after Me,
let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily,
and follow Me." - Luke 9:23

Have you ever wondered what REAL commitment to Christ is all about?

Let me share a story with you...

Real commitment to Christ is like a contract that you sign at the bottom, confirming that you agree to fulfill the plans that He has for your life. 

Only this contract is different from others that you might sign.

You see, most contracts are reviewed before signing.  You read through the contract and you negotiate certain terms of the agreement.  Sometimes you make adjustments to some of the terms, other times you add certain conditions that must be met before you will agree.  At still other times you might delete entire portions of the contract before it is satisfactory to you.

Know what I mean?  You make sure it isn't going to cost too much or be too much of an inconvenience or include something that makes you uncomfortable.  The contract must be able to fit into your plans, be within the guidelines and limits that you pre-determine and generally  outline points that you find acceptable.

Then, after careful review, adjustments, deletions, rewrites and conditions, you readily pull out the ink pen and sign on the dotted line.

It's very sad to say, but some believers approach commitment to Christ in the same manner.  They seek His will for their lives and then begin their review...

"God, I'm going to take this part out because it makes me uncomfortable.  I hope you don't mind, but I've decided to change what you wanted in this section for a different plan that I think is comparable.  I don't really have time this week for item number four, so I've given myself a bit more time for completion.  And, I'd love to fulfil you plan there in the closing section if you'll make sure you do what I wrote in immediately after it."

"Looks real good, God.  Pass me the ink pen."

Is that real commitment?  Good grief, NO! 

And yet, that is how many people approach God's will for their lives.  They review His plans and determine if it's acceptable or not.

Want to know what REAL commitment is? 

I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, "Real commitment is signing the contract without changing a thing, right?"

Real commitment even goes deeper than that.

Real commitment is doing what Abraham did when God told him to go to a land that He would show Him.  Real commitment is doing what Peter and Andrew, Mark and Matthew and the others did when He simply said, "Follow me."

Real commitment is signing a blank sheet of paper and saying, "God, I agree to whatever you write on this contract" without even seeing where His plans will take you or what they will require.  It's saying, "I've already agreed to whatever You want me to do."

What about you, Christian?  Are you ready for that kind of commitment?

Pass me the ink pen!

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!