Everyday Step with Jesus

When I first started this blog, I was writing every Sunday, or every other Sunday. I started getting busy at work and with life, and slowly I began to let it go…losing the commitment I had once made to myself and God. When we get started on something, we don’t do it with the intention of giving up on it down the road. No one starts something just to give up. 

Commitment is our ally when we set out to accomplish goals in our lives. Commitment is defined as showing dedication and loyalty. Being dedicated and loyal to something or someone requires effort and goes beyond what we “feel” like doing. Instead, we need to act based on what we know needs to get done in order to accomplish our goal(s), even when we don’t feel like it. Dedication and loyalty both require effort that sometimes we simply don’t have, but it is in those moments that we need to rely on God’s strength and not our own to keep pressing on. 

With commitment also comes consistency, discipline, obedience, and sacrifice. I find myself struggling with all of the above lately. I can’t seem to accomplish the things which I know I need to get done. If you have found yourself in the same situation, keep on reading…

Commitment requires action and those actions include being consistent and continuing to do what needs to get done even in the midst of adversity…taking one step after the other. 

When we do stop being as committed, oftentimes this is not done on purpose. But that is exactly the point. Being committed about something or someone is not about intention, or what we plan on doing, but rather what we end up doing…our actions. 

The excitement of something new will keep us going for a while, but, when that excitement begins to wear off, we need to go to the One that gives us the strength to keep on going. This is why it is so important to dedicate every part of what we do unto the Lord. When we are dedicated unto the Lord, we will turn to Him during the difficult times for the strength and the grace we need in order to keep on going. His Word tells us:

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭NKJV‬

Whatever you do…that means everything and anything you commit yourself unto. There is a difference between being committed to the Lord and to man. Being committed to man will leave us feeling defeated and stressed out. But being committed to the Lord will allow us to have peace and go on the path that He wants us to be on. When we are committed to Him, He will be glorified in all that we do. This doesn’t mean that we won’t struggle or go through times where we feel like giving up, but being in Christ does mean that we will be able to rest in Him and be renewed with strength in the midst of the adversities. In Christ, we are not promised a life without difficulties, we need to remember that we are after all in a fallen world. What we are promised is His peace, guidance, and presence, even when we go through the difficulties.

I myself feel like I’ve been in a rut. I have not been able to focus on my commitments as much as I should. The Lord pointed me to Colossians 3:23-24(the verse above) and this has helped me to switch my perspective; to remember the One that I serve. Through the commitments that I have in this world and even at work, His name will be glorified when He is put first. 

What does that look like? It is blooming where you are planted, in the current situation that you are in. That means making the best out of your situation and working with what you currently have.  Whether it is ministry, school, your current job/career, or any other venture you have committed to. It means stepping back and counting the “cost” before getting started, just as His Word tells us to do. 

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In this verse, Jesus was talking to His disciples about the “cost” of following Him and what following Him entailed. Basically don’t go into something without understanding what you are about to do or what you are committing to. This doesn’t mean that we need to have it all figured out when committing to something, but it does mean that we need to be willing to understand that challenges will arise and that even when challenges do arise we will lean on Him for guidance. There will always be some type of opposition, distraction, or sometimes even a lack of interest in the things we commit ourselves to. But what will make the difference is if we keep pushing or not.  There may be setbacks and moments when things don’t go as planned, but God is always able to turn it around. We need to remember:

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God is able to do so much more than we can imagine. He will use our situation for His honor and glory, even the moments we see as failures. He will direct us if and when we go to Him for guidance. He will show us that He is with us and that He is our strength. It may take us several tries and different attempts, sometimes even getting halfway through something and then stopping. This can be frustrating and demotivating. Demotivating to keep on going and frustrated with ourselves, at the circumstances. Wondering why we can’t just commit to something. Others are able to do it and accomplish the same goal you’ve been striving for; therefore, it must not be so hard and doable since others are doing it. But we need to remember that everyone is on a different journey and a different path. This may sound cliche but it is the truth. We should not compare ourselves to others. We should not bring ourselves down for failing to get something done right away or when we originally planned. Instead, we need to dust ourselves off, get back up, and go forward; empowered through His strength and not our own. Encouraged in knowing that His timing is the best timing and that His ways are better. 

I’ve been working on this blog post for a while now and have found myself struggling; struggling to dust myself off. I’ve been holding back on posting about commitment when I myself couldn’t commit. But I’ve learned that sometimes we don’t need to be fully ready. Yes! Count the cost, as mentioned above, but also take that first leap. Start back up with small steps…give Him the doubt, the fear, your busyness, and tiredness. Give Him the relationship, your career, and that project you’ve been putting off. When we start back up with small steps and truly lean on Him, He is just and faithful to lead us through the rest. We will not always feel ready or start back up fully committed, but, along the way, He will strengthen and help us. Be encouraged and take that small step to get back up with His help and you will see how He guides you. Stay tuned for the second part on how we do this…