Partial Commitment (Part 2)
So back to partial commitment: it’s a killer in marriage, and it’s a killer in our relationship with God. Scripture compares our relationship with God to a marriage… a troubled marriage, where each of us plays the role of the guilty party. But it takes on a new dimension in our relationship with God, Who is not only the Lover of our soul, but also the faithful and rightful Authority over our lives. As Lover, He desires our full commitment. As Authority, He demands it. As Lover, He is always faithful, forgiving and patient. As Authority, He continues to work on us, refining us into the marriage partner that He deserves.
God’s Role of Lover and Authority binds obedience and love together. Jesus told His disciples, that the one that loves Him is the one that obeys Him, and Christ commits to revealing Himself more to the person who faithfully obeys (see John 14:21). The Lover desires and the Authority demands a heart that is wholly devoted to Him. He deserves better, especially when you stop to think about how ultimately faithful He is and how consistently unfaithful we are.
Now personally I don’t like the idea of being the “guilty party” or the “unfaithful one” in the relationship and being accused of infidelity seems a bit unfair at first. Yet if I’m completely honest with myself, I’m really not faithful, and I never stay fully committed. He gave His life for me, suffering unbelievable pain. He sent His only Son with a message of peace between God and men. He modeled a sacrificial love for me to become an ambassador of this love to others, but I still tend look after my own best interests, at times questioning God’s motives in the midst of suffering.
Why is it so hard to trust and obey God when trials come? Some people doubt God’s ability to bring good from the situation. Others believe He’s unaware of what’s happening, thinking: “Why would God take notice of me?” I don’t share these doubts. In my mind, a God who is not all-knowing and all-powerful is not truly God. My tendency is to disbelieve His love and faithfulness “for me”.
It’s been said that we don’t have an obedience problem, we have a love problem. If we truly loved God, we’d obey Him. But I think it goes even deeper than our love problem. We have a belief problem. If I truly believe that God knows about my situation, that He has the ability to bring good from my suffering, and that He’s working it out for my best interest along the way, then obedience is easy. We need to believe Who God is “for me” before we can trust Him. And we need to trust Him before we can love Him. Then and only then will our love be transformed into obedience.
Regardless of the tough situation we are in, God knows about it, cares about it and has a plan to work good through it. Our part is to believe, trust, and live in His love throughout the circumstances. Then we will see Him work a miracle in and through us.
So there is hope for my friends’ marriage. There is hope for the friend looking for work. There is hope any situation I come across, because my God, my Friend, and my Father is fully committed to me.
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws… Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.
Ezekiel 36:25-27, 31
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:1
