“Commit thy way to the Lord; trust also in Him; & He shall bring it to pass.”-Ps.37:5
It was William Yeats that said, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” That has always bothered me…convicted me. Christians should be committed to some-things, some-One above and beyond themselves…above and beyond other things! However, we live in a time when some people (and some Christians) treat life like a slot machine…trying to put in as little as possible, and always hoping to hit the jackpot. But I believe that “life is an investment!”…. an investment from which we receive in terms of what we put in…reap what we sow…in the measure we use, it will (at some point in time, or in eternity) be measured back to us.
It is vitally important, however, that we understand investment & commitment in the
In early 1990, I made the following commitments. They show a way (direction & path) of life that values a commitment to relationships & discipleship (growing spiritually & relationally as we follow Christ). They also clarify practically “the way” this may be done…how we should treat & respect those God allows us the privilege of sharing the Christian journey of discipleship with…especially those that allow us to stand on the “holy ground” of their trust & vulnerability when sharing personal struggles or aspirations. The mountain tops & valleys of human experience & emotion are “holiness to the Lord” opportunities, & we should treat them as such.
These commitments…this type of investment will have immeasurable fruit in your heart, home, small groups (friendships), & in Heaven. I’ve endeavored to keep them, and I renew these commitments today. When it comes to the life of the soul…yourself…losing is gain and self-sacrificial giving is life (Mt.12:24-25, Jn.12:21-26). As I say in wedding ceremonies, “The Bible simply puts before us the wonderful mystery of human happiness, that in the giving of ourselves lies life’s greatest gains!” As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give!” Commit your way to the Lord, & live the life of love that denies yourself, honors God, esteems others, & gives all. I encourage you to embrace these...I believe they are a part of the “
Discipleship Covenant
The Covenant of Love (agape):
Your commitment to each individual in your group must be of the spirit that says; “Nothing you say or do will make me stop loving you.”
The Covenant of Availability:
Two Commitments are sought after here:
A. “I will be available, when humanly possible, each time our group meets.”
B. “I will make myself available to any member of our group whenever they are in need.”
The Covenant of Prayer:
“I will pray for each member of our group consistently.”
The Covenant of Confidentiality:
“Understanding that the other points in this covenant are only possible in the security of a “trust relationship,” I will, therefore, make the commitment to our group to share NOTHING outside of our group that has been shared in confidence, inside our group or shared in private ministry with another member of our group.”
The Covenant of Openness:
“Understanding that I cannot know you and that you cannot know me unless we tell each other who we are, I will make the commitment to tell you who I am…both in my strengths and in my weaknesses.”
The Covenant of Sensitivity:
“I will ask God to make me sensitive to the needs of each person in our discipleship group. I will consciously make the commitment to LISTEN to each person each time they speak, whether in word, actions, or attitudes.”
The Covenant of Honesty:
“Understanding that, ‘speaking the truth in love,’ is both positive and constructive unto bodily growth. I will allow God to use me in our group’s growth process by telling you when I agree and when I disagree, and why.”
The Covenant of Accountability:
“It is my conviction that God has placed me in our group, ‘for building up the Body of Christ.’ From time to time, within our group, it will be necessary for me to seek the mind of the Lord through the counsel and advice of our group. I will accept the responsibility for their counsel and advice and report to them what I have done with their collective wisdom.”
The Covenant if Servanthood:
“I understand that our example is Jesus the Christ. He took on the form of a servant. The scriptures command us to serve one another through love (Gal. 5:13). We realize to do this we must regard the other members of our group, (and everyone) as more important than ourselves. We must look out for the personal interests of the other members of the group in order that we may ‘become of the same mind, maintain the same love, unified in spirit and intent on one purpose’ (Phil. 2:1-2).”
I pledge myself to this commitment.
I want to be a spiritual pacesetter.
_____________________________
(Name)
No comments:
Post a Comment