The Difference Between Involvement And Commitment

“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.” – Ephesians 5:10.

There is some confusion between involvement and commitment. To be involved typically means staying as long as you are happy. Commitment is entirely different. Commitment is not a promise, it is the point when the promise is kept. Commitment requires planning, perseverance, and sacrifice.

What would have happened if Noah had not been fully committed; if he had completed only ninety percent of what God asked him to do? Imagine if he had left part of the hull unfinished, choosing instead to use the time for other things.

God wasn’t asking for an imperfect being to create a perfect product out of imperfect material, but He was asking Noah to stay committed and complete His request. Noah could not afford to be indifferent to God’s will, and neither can we. Noah had to complete the Ark because it was God’s will. His salvation, his family’s chance of surviving catastrophe, and the fulfillment of God’s will were all dependent upon his complete and total willingness to trust God. The same is true for us. We need to trust God completely. “Trust 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.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Real commitment is certainly difficult, yet we are asked to do it every day. We’re asked to commit to spouses, children, jobs, church, communities, and countless other things. Many of these types of commitments require balance. Work-life balance means we have to balance the time and effort from one commitment to another. While this is important, it doesn’t work with our commitment to follow Jesus. God does not expect us to manage everything perfectly, but He does expect our first commitment to be to Him.

Much of our spiritual life is a process of letting go of old habits and embracing our new life as a follower of Jesus. We won’t always get it right and we will make mistakes, but we will keep moving forward if we remain steadfast in our commitment to God. “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

A life serving Jesus requires total commitment. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” God doesn’t leave us alone. He gave us His Holy Spirit to walk and climb right next to us, giving us strength. God will remind us of how He guided us through difficult paths in the past so we can persevere now.

Discussion Questions:

On a scale of 1 to 10, where is your commitment to Jesus? Why did you pick the number you did?
Who or what has the most influence on your day-to-day decisions? Where does Jesus fall in the order of influential voices in your life?
What step do you need to take this week to make your relationship with Jesus your No. 1 priority?