Fully Committed by Dr. Paul Chappell

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Fully Committed

by Dr. Paul Chappell

And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:61-62

In December of 1776, with the outcome of the American Revolution teetering on the brink of defeat after a series of lost battles, Thomas Paine wrote to encourage those who believed in the cause of freedom to stay the course. He said, “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.” There are few things that are more effective in revealing whether or not someone is truly committed than hardship and suffering.

In his day as in ours, there are people who claim devotion to a cause, only to give up when things get tough. The Christian life is not a bed of roses. Becoming a believer does not create a special field of protection around us that keeps anything bad from ever happening. And when things get difficult, we see a separation between those who are truly committed and those who have simply been going along for the ride. Jesus saw this during His ministry. While He was working miracles, healing the sick, and feeding people, many followed Him. But when He began explaining that He was the only way of salvation, that was much less popular. “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66). True believers will never turn back from following Jesus.

Today's Growth Principle:
If we love God as we should, nothing will be able to make us turn back from our commitment to Him.