I believe if you sign up to do something (whether paid for it or not), you give it your very best. I believe that commitment means getting your hands dirty. It means making sacrifices for what you believe in. It means being on time, staying until its over, and being flexible. It may well mean you are not the person up front or that you have to get out of your comfort zone. Heavens, it may mean you have to compromise! It could mean your job may seem meaningless – like cleaning votive candle holders or holding a flashlight on a step or more visible like being a soloist, being on the Worship Team, directing logistics, teaching Sunday School or leading Bible Drill. It means learning your part (words, choir folks words!!), being prepared and taking responsibility for yourself and maybe helping someone who does not know the ropes. It means cleaning up after yourself. It means giving a helping hand to others.
To be committed, you have to show up and be both responsible and accountable. Commitment is acknowledgement that you are an essential part of The Body. Commitment does not change because your BFF is not going to be there or the people out front are changing or see things a little differently than you or because you did not get a part you wanted.
Consider I Corinthians 12:34-36: But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Yes – I am struggling today with commitment. And I am really wound up about disharmony in the body of Christ. In part, I am struggling with what commitment means to me personally right now. And, I will confess, I am struggling not to judge others and how to be a part of the solution rather than the problem.
Commitment does not create disharmony. Commitment brings unity. Read Philippians 1:27 – Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.
I think about those who have gone before me and been found faithful – I will forever miss Sarah Wilkinson coming through the choir room to let me know she was “here” or Celeste apologizing for being “late” – their “ministry of presence” was so encouraging. I look at the folks right now in the choir who are showing up even though they have had better days health wise (Paula, Beth, Tess, Tom, Carol) and the people who really want to be there and cannot (Goldie and Jim, Mr. Foster, Kay). And I just pray that the rest of us can learn from them and be encouraged by them.
My prayer today is that I will be the right example to those around me and that each of those in my circle of influence will step up, too, and together with me prayerfully consider what this means. How we live out our commitment could make an eternal difference to someone else.
Cille Litchfield 