It is Jesus who arouses in you the desire, the desire to do something great with your life, the will to follow an ideal… the courage to commit yourselves with humility and patience to improve yourselves and society, making the world more human and more brotherly. . ~ Pope John Paul II
When I got married several decades ago, I must admit I didn’t have much faith that marriage would work. I’ve been married before (which didn’t work out), and I really didn’t think any guy (especially a ’60s hippie guy) would be, could be, committed to a long-term relationship. Mentally, I gave us a year, maybe two.
Almost forty years later, we are still together. That is a testimony of our commitment and faith in each other. We have stood the test of time and survived many major and minor crises and tests. I have to say it was worth it. The benefits of our long-term relationship far outweigh any suffering and sacrifice along the way.
The Bible compares our relationship with Christ to marriage, and that relationship requires a commitment on our part as believers. The marriage vow, ‘Until death do us part’, is meant for all life, regardless of wealth or poverty, sickness or health, happiness or madness. However, with Christ, death is not when we part, it is when we celebrate together in heaven!
Some might say that the institution of marriage is outdated, that it has little meaning in today’s world. I have heard the same thing about Christianity. However, Divine Truth does not become inconsequential, inappropriate or out of date. As we strive to emulate Christ, to honor him not only as Savior, but as Lord of our lives, we must commit to following the mandates of our Covenant with Him.
The Apostle Paul begged the Ephesians to walk worthy of the calling with which you are called (v. 4:1). He wrote similar instructions to the Colossians, saying, “Walk (live and behave) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work, and constantly increasing and increasing in and through the knowledge of God.” [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition](Col. 1:10 AMP). He also wrote to the church in Thessalonica:… walk worthy of God, who has called you into his kingdom and glory (I Thess. 2:12-13). In other words, he wanted them to fulfill their commitment as followers of Jesus Christ.
That is essentially what any marriage is about: developing a deeper understanding and relationship with the other partner. Being worthy means serving; in this case, serving or deserving the designation of Christian. Later in that chapter, he reminded the Ephesians that grow in everything in him, who is the Head, Christ (verse 15). The Amplified Bible says, “Let us grow in every way and in all things.”
Paul and the other Apostles spent much time reiterating the principles of the Christian life. Why? Paul answered that question in his letter to the Corinthians: I have fed you with milk and not with meat; because until now you couldn’t stand it, and now you can’t (I Corinthians 3:2). In other words, they (and we) aren’t following the basics, so there’s no point in trying to dig deeper. Asking God for a deeper revelation before we are fully developed in the basics of Christianity is like trying to do algebra or trigonometry before we have learned basic math.
We all know the list, of course, the things we are commanded to do so that we will bear much fruit (results) for the kingdom. If we live like the rest of the world, our Christian testimony is weak or non-existent. People should be able to look at us and see the love of Christ, strong faith, kindness and compassion. But let’s dig a little deeper.
Faith – But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). Faith means absolute trust. We must wholeheartedly believe that what God said in His Word is absolute and that He will do what He said. Is his faith strong enough to withstand the test of sickness or lack, knowing without a doubt that God not only can but will change his situation? Or do you worry and fret about it, crying and begging for answers?
The longer you are in a relationship, the more you will learn to trust the other person. I trust my husband. I know that I can absolutely depend on him to protect me and provide me with everything I need. If anyone else in the world were to let me down or try to hurt me, I know he won’t. I know the same about God and I can say like the psalmist: I trust you [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, without fear or doubt] (Ps. 86:2 AMP).
Love – A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another as I have loved you… (John 13:34-35). There are at least 440 verses in the Bible that speak of love, more than a hundred more than faith. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he chose love. This world should be so overrun with God’s love that there is no room for hate, lack, depression, or any of the devil’s tools. In the ‘love chapter’, 1 Corinthians 13, Paul explains that Although I have all the faith… but I have no charity, I am nothing (v.2).
The depth of love we show is the measuring stick of true Christianity. It’s easy to love friends, a little more challenging to walk in love with our relatives consistently; and even more difficult to find compassion for the grumpy and difficult people around us. Yet that is what we are commanded to do: put aside our human feelings and demonstrate agape love: love [that] puts up with a lot and is patient and kind…never envious…jealous…smug…rude…doesn’t insist on his own way [and] is not touchy, irritable, or resentful (I Cor. 13:4-5 AMP). Pour 5 continues: [love] pay no attention to a wrong suffered. Doing that requires a strong commitment to God, trusting that He will take care of us no matter what others do.
Sorry – and be kind to one another, merciful, forgiving one another, just as God forgave you in Christ (Ephesians 4:14). Hand in hand with love is forgiveness. Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling. We must learn to forgive on purpose, because God asks us to, not because we ‘feel like it’.
There have been many times when I have had to walk away from my husband because he upset me about something. I’ve learned (the hard way, I might add) to push those feelings away and say, “You and me, Lord. You are all I need.” It’s my way of putting my care on Him because I know He cares about me. I like how Amplified explains it: putting all of your care into [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns once and for all] (1 Peter 5:7). My commitment to both God and my spouse requires that I instantly forgive and forget. I have to let it go. Holding a grudge is no way to maintain a relationship. That is true for everyone with everyone. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:15). God expects it, he demands it, from us.
Patience – do not be slothful, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). Patience is the ability to maintain joy, peace, love, etc. despite the irritations and delays that inevitably occur.
Can you stand in a long line at the check-out counter without showing impatience? Can you be content with what you have while waiting in faith for God to change your situation in his time? Can you honestly say, “I trust you” without trying to solve the problem on your own?
I remember how impatient I was when I was younger. She wanted it all and she wanted it NOW! Waiting was quite a challenge. The result was unbearable debt, constant worry and struggle, all because she had to have whatever it was at the time!
My dad had a saying printed at the top of the time cards in our family business: “Do the right thing. Do it right because it’s right.” Patience helps us to do the things we don’t want to do, to wait for the things we want because it’s the right thing to do, and to do the right thing no matter how we feel. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and you may enter and possess the good land… (Deuteronomy 6:18).
There are many other qualities to emulate and practice as part of our commitment to God, but these four—faith, love, patience, and forgiveness—are essential. As we focus on his wisdom and ways, he has promised guard it and keep it in perfect and constant peace, whose mind [both its inclination and its character] he leans on You, because he entrusts himself to You, he leans on You and he waits confidently on You. (Is. 26:3 AMP) If we do our part, He will see to it that His promises are fulfilled in our lives. All it takes is commitment.