Crucified with Christ…I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’Galatians 2:20 NIV
It may sound like a cliché, but the statistics prove that there’s a lack of commitment in our society today. Marriage rates are down, divorce rates are up, and people stay in a job for far less time than they would have done 40 years ago. The Christian life is one that requires the deepest kind of commitment, though. Galatians 2:20 explains how wholly we enter into our new lives with God: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (NIV). This is full, life-changing commitment. Jesus gave all that He is to give us life. Paul shows us that we should give all we are back to God in return. Wherever we’re at personally, there’s a lot that we can learn from the commitment of marriage to help us understand how we can commit to God, and to anything that He asks us to do. There’s a reason that we, as the Church, are called Jesus’ Bride (Revelation 22:17 NIV). Firstly, we see that it’s a lot easier to make a commitment to something if there’s love there. When we love God, we see no other option than to give our lives to Him. And when we find something that we’re passionate about, it becomes more possible to imagine jumping fully in. It also reminds us that even when we’re passionate, commitment takes a lot of work. No matter how much you love someone or something, it’s easy to want to quit when difficulties arise. But any successful marriage shows us that once we’ve committed, it’s worth working at things to keep them growing. What Now? Do you know anyone who has been married for more than 20 years? Ask them for their best advice on commitment (to anything – not just marriage!).
