Well, it’s that time of year again. A New Year brings new possibilities and opportunities. Many will make resolutions, set goals and start out on fire. But unfortunately many will fall short. Have you ever wondered why? With an over 80% failure rate on New Year resolutions, it is little wonder why so many people walk around feeling defeated. Well, for those of you in Christ I have some encouraging words found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
God doesn’t want you to have an ordinary year this upcoming year – He wants you to have an extraordinary year, one with a future and a hope, in which He intends on being a major part. But this is a time of year we make different commitments in our own lives. We call them commitments, resolutions, goals, plans or whatever, and we talk about commitment a lot. The reason we have so much trouble in our personal lives and in the life of the church is we put the blame on the lack of commitment. I’m guilty of this! I pose to you the problem with commitment.
The word commitment connotes we are in control. Since we are the ones making or setting the bonds of the commitment. When we say we will commit to read the Bible through in a year, we will commit to tithe… serve… memorize scripture…lose weight… establish a greater relationship with our kids or parents and we fail, we say… “Well, I have to put forth more effort, make a greater commitment.” Dr. Keith Alred, a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team said, “ Flatly resolving to achieve something ignores one central fact: You are the person who has been running your life while you gained weight or disregarded your spouse or fell short as a father or mother. And since you’re still the one in control, it’s unlikely you will be able to chart a better course and arrive at your intended destination without examining yourself – the inner set of emotions and beliefs that truly, elementally define your self-concept and the way you experience and understand the world around you.” When God is in control we need not commit, but rather we should surrender all. The reasons much of what – not all – but much of what we commit to fails, is because we lack the ability to complete the mission. We must remember that this is God’s plan for our life… when we surrender, God is in control and we allow Him to put us in a place of victory. Does He want you to have great relationships? Sure He does. Does He want you to have have good health? Sure He does. He wants you to be happy for His name sake.
The problem with commitment often times, is that we think it is the surrendering of something or a part of ourselves, but with the retention of authority over it. I heard it illustrated like this... If we are held up by gun point, we don’t commence to telling the gunman what we are committed to. NO, we throw our hands up in a motion of surrender.
We don’t tell the man – I’ll commit to giving you my wallet, but you’re not getting my cash or credit cards. Commitment without surrender leaves room for negotiation. We don’t tell the man, I commit my watch and $100, but that is it. Because of what he has in his hands he has established control and we surrender what is desired by the one in control, often times the gunman has a plan and if we try to alter it, it can be devastating.
Therefore, might I ask you this New Year to surrender, which is committing without retention of authority. Due to His purchasing you on the Cross of Calvary, He has the power over you and you will never be over those things that God has given you authority over, until you get under the authority God has over you. God doesn’t give authority to rebels. When we commit we retain control. That’s why we have a hard time receiving the strength from God to overcome the things of this world we are suppose to have dominion over.
I leave you with the prayer of A.W. Tozer… “Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Don’t just commit this year, try going a step farther and realize the fact that God has a plan for life and surrendering to the Lord your complete being will enable Him to bring it about in your life thus making you successful.
There's no better time than today to start!
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