Making a Commitment
Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
— Luke 9:23
Although it has been more than three decades, I still remember clearly the day I was joined in marriage to my wife, Cathe. She walked down the aisle looking beautiful. I, on the other hand, resembled Jeremiah Johnson with my shoulder-length hair and big beard. I cringe when I look at the photos. But that day, I committed myself to Cathe. I said, "I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part." I made a public commitment to her.
And although I have already made that commitment, I make a recommitment every day to love Cathe and to be the husband that God wants me to be. I don't always do this perfectly. But I recognize that it is a continuing commitment.
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I have also committed myself to Jesus Christ, and every day I honor and affirm that commitment. One practical way I do this is simply by staying in fellowship with Him. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). By obeying God, listening to and heeding the "still, small voice" of His indwelling Holy Spirit, I remain in unbroken fellowship with Him.
If you want to grow in Jesus Christ, it will take time—and lots of it. It will take a daily commitment for the rest of your life. But do you have anything better to do with the rest of your life than to follow Jesus and learn more about Him? That is the best thing you could possibly do with your life and future. Nothing is better than that.
You could say the same thing hour by hour through your day. Nothing is better, no matter what your activities or responsibilities, than walking in the sweetness and radiance of His conscious presence.
