I think we would all agree that every one of us, Christian or otherwise, have assignments in our lives. These assignments consist of other people, places, obligations, and responsibilities and require our attention. Some things require more of our attention than others, such as being a parent. We cannot let our guard down as parents; we cannot sleep in while a baby cries for food or allow our toddler to wander around without supervision. For those who are married, one cannot neglect the loving attention for one another without leaving a gap wide open for disaster to come. We have to remain faithful to the post set before us.
A post as a position is a place where troops are stationed or the ground they occupy. As a thing, a post is something intended to support something else such as a gate, fence or door. When one is stationed in a particular place, it is considered a post. We are to be fixed on the assignment until we are released. As parents, we provide our children with less supervision as they grow and mature, but our post is never abandoned, even when they are adults. Some posts are to remain until our death or crossover into our eternal life.
This is what the Lord says to me: "Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees. - Isa 21:6 NIV
Today there is a trend that is counterproductive to any real and long-lasting relationship. People start a project, commitment, friendship, marriage, or the likes and as soon as the relationship or project becomes difficult, they abandon it. Whenever something or someone better, more exciting, entertaining or rewarding comes along, people leave their previous choice for a different one. We do not see this behavior happening only once or twice, but instead, we can see patterns of individuals doing this as a lifestyle; things get boring or tough, and the post is abandoned.
When Christ-followers behave in such a manner as to abandon or release their commitment and promises before it is time it can become very disheartening. An individuals yes should be yes and no should be no. We should not be double-minded and expect people to commit to us if we do not model a committed spirit ourselves.
Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." - Lk 9:62 NIV Yet we see people do this all the time. Regardless of marriage vows taken people will break them all the time, friendships end daily because of offense, and parents abandon children on a fairly consistent basis. If you want to remain true to your words, relationships, and commitments the following may help you if you put them into action.
Never Do These 10 Things
If we are going to maintain long and healthy relationships, we must do our best not to do the following things.
Do not break your promises.
Do not promise something with the intention of only doing it until something better comes along.
Do not commit to something that you do not have any knowledge of in that area.
Do not commit or promise a child something then not show up to fulfill it.
Do not commit to something that makes you a core part of a group then walk away.
Do not break communication with the person or group you have committed.
Do not commit to something that will cause the whole project to end or be held up if you do not show up.
Do not get married only because the wedding has been planned and you feel obligated to go through with it. If your heart has changed towards your would-be spouse, it is not wise to go through with marriage until you work out the heart issue.
Do not do anything out of vain and selfish ambition.
Do not quit when you have had a bad day, or things are not going the way you planned.
Always Do These 10 Things
Let your yes be yes and no be no.
Mean what you say and do it.
Give yourself consistently and thoroughly.
Promise to do things you know you can finish.
Put a time limit on the things you are not sure of and let the people involved know that you are willing to try the thing or position.
Do not guarantee the results when you are not sure of them yourself.
Plan in advance to keep your commitment.
Set your clock ahead if you’re are a person who is always late.
Set your calendar a day in advance.
Plan for traffic on your way to an appointment.
Ask God to convict you of areas of weakness so that you can be fully committed to others.
Talk often with those who surround you in the work you have put your hand to.
Do not depend on text messages as a reliable source of communication.
Before making any decisions that will require a lot of your time and energy, pray about it and count the cost. .
Many of us have abandoned something or someone in our lives, and God's grace is sufficient. However, once we become aware of such destructive behavior, we must make every effort to change and improve in whatever areas are lacking.
Look what Jesus Christ taught about counting the cost before beginning something.
28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. He will first sit down and estimate the cost to see whether he has enough money to finish it, won’t he? 29Otherwise, if he lays a foundation and can’t finish the building, everyone who watches will begin to ridicule him 30and say, ‘This person started a building but couldn’t finish it.’
31“Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He will first sit down and consider whether with 10,000 men he can fight the one coming against him with 20,000 men, won’t he? 32If he can’t, he will send a delegation to ask for terms of peace while the other king is still far away. 33In the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.” - Lk 14:28-33 NIV
If more of us would count the cost of the commitment we are making, we may begin to see a greater fruitfulness in our lives. Marriages would last, children would be healthier emotionally, churches would grow, business would be prosperous, and society as a whole would operate on a much better way than it does today. Let us be people who are found honest, true to our word, committed to the greater good of society, and faithful to a cause.
Let’s pray,
Heavenly Father, thank You for remaining faithful to me even when I am not. Thank You for never quitting or giving up on me even when I have failed countless times to follow through. I love You and want to be a person who releases Your glory here on earth. I long to be a person who walks in Jesus Christ’ love and truth and I cannot do that on my own. I ask for the Holy Spirit to empower me in all my weakness and help me be found truthful, faithful, and committed to every excellent and godly cause You set before me. In Jesus name, Amen