Daily Encouragement: Year 1, Day 7
Adapted from Handbook to Leadership
Quality relationships are founded on the rock of commitment, not the shifting sand of feelings or emotions. God calls us to be a people of commitment, first to Him and then to others. Look at Joshua 24:14–27 to study the parting words of a man whose entire life was marked by commitment.
Joshua told the people that even if they chose not to serve the Lord, they would still not be exempt from service. If we do not serve the Creator, we will unavoidably serve some part of the creation. But the gods of success, position, and possessions are cruel taskmasters and never deliver the profound satisfaction they promise. God alone is the worthy object of our total commitment, and if we direct our highest commitment to anything else, we commit idolatry. We were designed to serve God and to find our deepest satisfaction in Him, but we will be half-hearted at best if we try to play by two sets of rules and serve two masters (Luke 16:13).
The call to commitment to God is a call to constant vigilance in maintaining and understanding the standards of that commitment. No matter what distractions you may encounter, you need to maintain your focus on serving the Lord.