Commitment

Every year, college coaches agonize over recruits, hoping that a star athlete will commit to signing with his or her team. But recruits can make a “soft” commitment to a school while they continue visiting other campuses.

Though the definition of “commit” is “to bind” or “obligate” (which implies a definite decision), the meaning of this word has obviously been diluted in the world of college recruiting.

Commitment meant something totally different to Elisha in 1 Kings 19. He was plowing in a field when Elijah found him, threw his cloak around him and pronounced him as his successor. Elisha responded by asking permission first to go home to prepare a farewell feast. He slaughtered the oxen, burned the plow to cook the meat and fed his people. Then he followed Elijah and became his servant. Elisha’s response was hardly a “soft” commitment; he left no doubt that he was binding himself to Elijah.

In the same way, God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, leaving no doubt of His commitment to us. Through His sacrificial blood, He now invites us to an eternal feast with Him!

Because of His amazing bond of love to us, He desires that we, too, live lives of firm — not soft — commitments as we compete and in all areas of life.