Are You Committed to God’s Way?

Fatigued and nearly barefoot, explorer Ernest Shackleton arrived in a small whaling town on South Georgia, a tiny island hundreds of miles north of Antarctica. He and two of his crewmembers had hiked for 36 hours over snowcapped mountains. They started their journey after their ship was trapped and crushed by ice while attempting to reach the South Pole. From there, Shackleton and his crew hauled their lifeboats across the ice, and, after reaching the ocean, the men sailed 100 miles north to deserted Elephant Island. Shackleton and two other men continued for 900 miles across the Weddell Sea—a stretch of choppy water known for sinking ships—to land in South Georgia. The rest of the men were then rescued from Elephant Island—all 27 crew members survived. When asked how they had made it, one survivor answered with a single word: “Shackleton.”

Omaha Beach, D-Day, 1944. From the beginning of the World War II battle, nothing went as planned. A blustery wind jostled the troop landing crafts off course, and many soldiers never even made it to land. Those who did were subject to a relentless rain of machine-gun fire from German “resistance nests” strategically placed along the 30-foot cliffs lining the beach. Hiding behind obstacles at the water’s edge, groups of Allied soldiers gathered every ounce of courage before making the deadly sprint toward the cliffs. By the day’s end, 2,400 Allies were dead, but 34,000 troops had landed to take the beach.

After leaning into the final turn, a well-known speed-skater crossed the finish line, earning his seventh Olympic medal and making him the most-decorated American winter Olympian. Leading up to the games, the skater stuck to a grueling 12-hour-a-day training schedule that consisted of running, biking, weightlifting and stair exercises. He claimed the secret to his success was determination, telling Universal Sports, “Nobody will outwork me.”

These three stories share a similar theme: a fierce commitment to succeed.

If these men could be so dedicated to temporal, earthly causes, consider how much more Christians should be willing to pledge total allegiance and commitment to God’s Way!

Endure Hardness

Commitment is the trait of sincere and steadfast purpose, the act of binding oneself to a course of action.

The apostle Paul is a towering example of a person who made a commitment to God’s way of life. As a Pharisee, he was zealous for the laws and traditions of his fathers. When he became a follower of Christ, he approached the Christian walk with the same resolve. Even when jailed, beaten, starved, stoned, shipwrecked and ridiculed (II Cor. 11:22-33), he never gave up. He remained steadfast and eventually paid the ultimate price: martyrdom.

Hebrews 11 is replete with examples of God’s servants who proved beyond doubt they were faithful—and could endure any trial while staying committed to God. Consider the examples of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Sarah and David.

The chapter also reveals the level of commitment of Old Testament servants: “Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings…moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (vs. 36-38).

This same commitment is still required.

Notice the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:12: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Both John and Jesus “suffered violence” during their lives. Since then, Christians throughout the ages have met fierce persecution. (Read John 15:20.)

The second part of this verse has two correct meanings: (1) Christ, as a representative of the Kingdom, was taken by force, and (2) those who seek to be in the Kingdom must struggle—battle—to enter it. In the latter meaning, “the violent” (meaning Christians), must take the Kingdom by “force.”

The following passages make this clear: Ephesians 6:12; Philippians 2:12-13 and 3:14; II Corinthians 10:3-5; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Matthew 24:13; James 4:7-8; I Peter 5:9; I Corinthians 9:24-27; and I Timothy 6:12.

Take time to read them. Notice the words used to describe the level of commitment Christianity requires, and how one must wrestle, fight, war, endure, press toward, pull down, run and resist giving up. We must devote ourselves to living God’s Way, not give excuses, and always be ready to sacrifice.

Devotion to God builds faith and develops character. Be determined to overcome inevitable opposition and adversity, and be willing to pay the price to qualify to rule with Christ (Rev. 20:6).

Road to Commitment

Godly dedication begins with drawing close to Him, spending quality time daily in personal Bible study and prayer, and also regularly meditating and fasting. By implementing these tools of spiritual growth, as well as resisting the pulls of human nature, society and Satan, you will grow in God’s holy, righteous character.

Mr. Herbert Armstrong explained another vital aspect of growth in the booklet What Will You Be Doing in the Next Life?: “In my over fifty years’ intensive, rich, active experience, since God changed my direction into His way, I have observed that the very first need of every Christian, who is to grow and develop this spiritual character, is to have his heart completely in the work of God, which the living Christ has called His servants to do, as His instruments!”

Our loyalty to God and His Work should exceed devotion to any person, including immediate family members: “If any man come to Me, and hate [love less] not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).

Instead we must “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33), which requires time, work and effort. We must also analyze all we do to ensure that no activity interferes with our goal.

Signs of Lack of Dedication

Notice II Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?”

We should regularly examine whether our lives show signs of decreasing dedication to God’s Work, and then root out these attitudes. Here are some earmarks of flagging commitment…

Easily becoming offended: You should not allow a petty disagreement with another member or correction from a minister, for example, to derail you from the incredible prospect of being born into God’s Kingdom.

Incorrect priorities: Learning to set the right priorities is key to commitment, and is also an indicator of your spiritual condition. Recall that Matthew 6:33 states what should always be your top priority—seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The meaning of “seek” in this verse includes endeavoring to obtain, to strive for, to work toward, and to hope, search or wait for.

Following the broader, easier path: When many casual followers started leaving Christ, He asked the 12 disciples, “Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that You are that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:67-69). It is easy to follow the wide path, but a true test of our commitment comes when we actively choose the difficult path—one that most others are not willing to take!

Allowing loneliness to overwhelm you: Living God’s Way is not a popular path. Christ never promised that many would follow Him (Matt. 7:13-14). No matter where you are—if you meet alone or with a small congregation—your mindset must be fixed on faithfully obeying God. Faithfulness must not be predicated on the comfort of being part of a large group.

Letting truths of God slip away: Hebrews 2:1 says, “We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Slip means to flow out, similar to how liquid slowly flows out of a cracked vessel. If we find the truths of God are “leaking” out of us, it is a grave warning that our commitment to God has waned!

It is absolutely essential for you to personally prove the truths of God. The Bereans were commended for doing this (Acts 17:10-12). There will always be people who leave the truth, as has happened for the past 2,000 years, and it will continue in this age (John 6:66; Luke 8:4-15). This is a fact of Christianity. Do not let it shake you. Inevitably, such people never proved God’s truths for themselves.

But if we see any of these signs in our lives, it is not an excuse to give up! We must learn to confront these challenges head-on.

Soldier On

As one called by God, you must understand and appreciate that you have an awesome responsibility. We will ultimately be saved only if we commit to live God’s Way to the very end. Many great people without God’s Spirit have been willing to die for what they believe in. Just re-read the first few paragraphs of this article! The question that remains is how committed are you to God’s Way?

Work while there is still time in this age. Living the Word becomes the greatest evidence of our complete dedication to God’s Way. If we truly believe this, we will be wholly invested. Nothing else should be more important!

Fight, press toward, wrestle and resist—without ever giving up—“endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 2:3). Determine not to become entangled “with the affairs of this life; that [you] may please Him who has chosen [you] to be a soldier” (vs. 4)—take the Kingdom “with violence”—support God’s Work in all you do—and stay committed!