Question 1

Why is commitment important?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 25:10The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.When you are committed to following God, he will lead you to his will for your life, the satisfying and fulfilling goal for which he has created you. This is the most important commitment you can make, with the longest-lasting rewards.Psalm 31:23Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant.When you are committed to God, he is committed to watching out for you and caring for you.Ruth 1:16Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”1 Corinthians 13:7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.Your commitment to others is evidence of the love you have for them.

Question 2

How strong is God’s commitment to me?

Accepted Answer

Isaiah 46:4“I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.”If you have put your trust in God, he has promised his total commitment to lead you and guide you for your lifetime.Titus 2:14He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.God’s commitment to a relationship with you is so strong that he sent his only Son to die for your sins so that you wouldn’t have to experience the ultimate punishment for sin. He cleansed you and guides you to live your life for him.

Question 3

What does it mean to be committed to God?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 4:19-20Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.”Luke 14:26-28“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?”Commitment to God requires a whole-hearted decision—a true act of the will. Commitment to following Jesus can be costly. To follow him you might have to leave other attractive things behind. You may not have to leave behind your livelihood like the disciples did, but to be truly committed, you need to be ready to follow where God leads. There is no halfway commitment to Jesus. The cross you carry and the cost you incur may include separation from those who don’t agree with you (even family members), persecution for your faith, or other difficulties. Jesus doesn’t promise to make life easy; instead, he promises to make life fulfilling and worthwhile because by following him, you will be doing exactly what he calls you to do to build his kingdom.Exodus 24:3All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”John 17:4“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”Being committed to God means a resolve to try your best to obey all of God’s Word in all areas of your life. As a human being with a sinful nature, you will never be able to achieve this goal in this life (then you’d be perfect), but that should not stop you from trying to do your best.Matthew 10:32-33“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”Commitment to God means not hiding your faith but instead acknowledging openly who you are and what you believe.Psalm 37:5-6Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Commitment to God means that you must trust him to lead you and do what is best for you.Joshua 24:14“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped. . . . Serve the Lord alone.”Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”Being committed to God means deciding to make God first in your life, worshiping him alone.Daniel 3:14-18Nebuchadnezzar said . . . “I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace.” . . . Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “. . . If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. . . . But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”Commitment is being willing to accept the sometimes painful consequences of obedience to God. The three Hebrew men believed in God and knew he could save them from death in the blazing furnace, but they also knew that no matter what might happen, their faith rested secure. When you are committed to God, there will always be those committed to opposing you and all you stand for. Commitment means trusting God no matter what.Romans 12:1-2I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice. . . . let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.Commitment is more than intellectual agreement; it involves a sacrificial giving of your whole self.1 Chronicles 29:5“Who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?”Proverbs 3:9Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.Being committed to God means supporting God’s work with your time, talent, and treasure.Amos 5:24Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.Romans 6:13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.Being committed to God means living a lifestyle of holiness and integrity while doing good, not harm, to others and seeking justice for the oppressed.

Question 4

What are my most important commitments?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 22:37-38“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”John 6:66-69At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”Your most important commitment is to love and honor God in all you do.John 13:34-35“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”An important commitment is to love God’s people in all ways and at all times.John 15:5, 16“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. . . . You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”An important commitment is to serve the Lord by continuing Christ’s work in the world.Genesis 2:24This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.Hebrews 13:4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.An important commitment is to love and be devoted to your spouse.Proverbs 22:6Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.An important commitment is to love your children and give them spiritual training and explain the gospel of Jesus to them.

Question 5

Why is commitment so hard?

Accepted Answer

Nehemiah 5:16I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall.Commitment is never easy; it requires courageous perseverance and, sometimes, sacrifice. Nehemiah was committed to leading the work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, even forgoing other goals. At times, it seemed that everything was working against him, but he persevered, and the wall was completed in record time.Numbers 30:2“A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.”Commitment can be hard because sometimes we change our minds and don’t want to follow through. However, the very nature of commitment is to do what we said we would do, even if it’s difficult.2 Timothy 1:12[The Good News] is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.Commitment is difficult because sometimes it means trusting God through trials and even when our circumstances don’t make sense. Paul was in prison, wishing he could be out traveling and preaching. But he was committed to God. He knew God was in control and would deliver on his promises.

Question 6

What can I do if I have broken a commitment?

Accepted Answer

Luke 19:8Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “. . . if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”1 John 1:9If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.If you break a commitment made to another, you have broken a trust. The only thing to do is to admit the wrong, and ask the other person—and God—to forgive you. You should make restitution if you can, like Zacchaeus did. Confession and repentance help regain a sense of trust, which allows your future commitments to once again be trusted.

Question 7

What does a leader’s commitment look like?

Accepted Answer

Luke 9:57-62As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”Luke 14:27-28, 33“If you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost. . . . you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”Leaders must be the most committed of the group. Jesus’s high standards model the kind of commitment he expects in all areas of life, especially in our undivided loyalty to him. Leaders cannot expect special treatment. They are not exempt from the standards that apply to those they lead.Mark 10:42-45Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Romans 6:13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.Committed leaders should not lord it over others, but instead should seek to serve those they lead. Like all believers, they must give themselves to God’s service completely.