Commitment: What

Jesus knew many would start out with Him, but not many would finish with Him.  That’s why He told His followers to count the cost:  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a 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.’ Luke 14:28-30

Starting is one thing.  Finishing is another.  I’ve known people who got all excited about Jesus.  Jesus was just all right with them! They were on fire.  Every time the church doors opened, they were there.  They couldn’t do enough for God.  Then, just as quickly as they ignited, they fizzled. 

I’ve seen others go much longer, going deep into Christian service, becoming pastors, missionaries, elders, deacons, teachers…only to fade away.  We call it “burnout.”  Burnout is a subject in itself.  I can’t say much about it here, except that the symptoms are real and, if we stay in the church long enough, we’ll probably all experience those symptoms.  If God gives me breath, in October I’ll celebrate 30 years as a public minister.  If I said there were times when I didn’t want to quit, I’d be lying. 

But burnout can be dealt with.  It must be dealt with because the life Jesus offers is…for life.  He’s talking to all of us, public ministers and private Christians alike, when He says, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it  Luke 9:23-24. 

Jesus isn’t a tour guide.  He’s not here to show us a number of interesting sites before we go back to the hotel.  He’s not leading us to the Next Big Thing—a new kind of music, a thrilling convention, a short-term mission trip, a new church.  He’s leading us to a cross, a grave, and a resurrected life.  These don’t follow in sequence; they’re not stair steps.  We’ll meet them over and over again.  Because of that, it may sometimes seem like we’re not making any progress.  It’s a journey.   If we follow Christ, His path must and will become our lives.  

That’s our commitment, then, not just to get here Sunday mornings, not just to be baptized, not just to send money to missionaries, not to become elders or teachers, but to live the rest of our lives for Him.