Are You Truly Able To Love and Commit To Others
Author: Pat Aman
I laughed today as a friend said, “Pat, your devotions are changing. God and you have really been stepping on my toes. Am I going to have to wear my steel toes boot for awhile?”
My answer was, “Honey, God got me first, before you. There is not a devotional that God allows me to share that He has to stomp on my toes first.”
I have really been studying deep into God’s Word as it deals with everyday life. There are too many sugar coated sermons being preached and not enough, what does God’s Word say about life.
Studying for the devotion tonight, I have to asked myself,”Am I able to withstand everything that it takes to give and commit my life to others?”
Being committed to family, friends, children and life has to first start within yourself as a child of God. If you cannot love yourself, you cannot truly loves others. You will constantly doubt, criticize, and not fully realize that you are allowing Satan to cause a great division in your life.
There were several scriptures I could of chosen to use, but decided to share from 1 King 19
Elisha…took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them…He set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. — 1 Kings 19:21
Let’s break this down. Elijah the prophet placed his cloak over the shoulders of Elisha a farmer. At God’s command, Elijah was asking Elisha to leave everything he knew, everything that he was comfy with and do the work of prophet for God’s people. Elisha was willing to be totally commented to Elijah. This was not a small request, and it would require a great commitment from Elisha.
The scriptures tell us that Elisha made his commitment clear. He brought an end to his old life by killing his oxen, burning the plow to cook the meat, and sharing it with his family and neighbors. They joined in as witnesses recognizing this change in his life. Elisha wanted to show God and everyone that he was fully committed to this new call and mentoring relationship. Trusting God as he went forward, Elisha did not look back.
Can we today do the same thing? Can we give a total commitment to what God is trying to do in our lives?
If we say yes, then we must be willing to be taught and redirected. And yes, it will require commitment to letting the Spirit work in our lives.
We cannot stop and look at the first journey in our lives. If we do, then this new journey, this new commitment is not going to work. We must look to God who is as the scripture says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
Commitment to God and the people He places in our lives does not always demand a turn around, but it does require placing everything in God’s service. Taking a step of faith requires a full commitment.
Like Elisha, do you need to put away things from your past to be committed to being discipled by the Spirit?
Yes, you may! Until you release the passed, you cannot step into your future. You must let go of all the times people have hurt and disappointed you.
I will tell you now, they do not care. They are going on with their lives. So, do not let them be a yoke around your neck. It will slowly choke you to death.
As the scriptures share with us. God’s Word works to restore and renew our lives. He works to put us either on track or back on track to make us fruitful. Like Elijah, we too can easily find ourselves down, lonely, and discouraged, but the Lord is the God of all comfort and He has committed Himself to our renewal and restoration. But we need to make ourselves available to God’s direction for our renewal.
Just as Elijah first went to find Elisha who became an encouragement to the prophet.
We must let God renew us, restore us, so we can be committed to the people God beings to us to help us on our journey. For they will be encouragers to help us along the journey.
Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 2019 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” and Christian Faith Publishers
Bible Verses: The New King James Bible
Media – Books