"Committed" is a profound word for without it goals are dreams!
"Commitment" means that Mr. Anybody would "bind" himself to his new venture. If one is committed the results are successful. If one is not committed there are no desired results.
Mr. Anybody had a vision. He created a metric to enable himself to measure his progress. The desired goal was defined by a final metric. The vision could be anything, but perhaps Mr. Anybody desired to be a runner. His metric was distance measured in miles and his goal was five miles. Mr. Anybody was a healthy man and was fully capable. In the past he hadn't been real motivated to do much other than eat good food and enjoy recreation. He was worried about his cholesterol and flabby body so he decided it would be best to exercise. He hated running, but believed it to be a good way to improve himself.
With the goal set, we go back to where we started. "I'm enthused!" he said. Mr. Anybody, let's call him "Dreamon" (I like that name!), sincerely desired to improve himself. He saw himself as a healthy man with a smile on his face as he crossed that five-mile marker. He just couldn't wait to get started. He was excited!
Dreamon decided to run a mile the first day. "That's reasonable.", he thought. After about 800 yards Dreamon felt the pain! He used muscles long forgotten. His breath was struggled and the oxygen just didn't fulfill his needs. His stomach hurt and he became nauseated. "Well, that's enough for today." he said, telling himself "At least I ran!".
Let's stop right here! So far where has Dreamon Anybody messed up? Number one: His goal of five-miles wasn't established by time. Is the goal to run five miles the first day or in ten years from now? It just sounds as if he had a good idea!
Now, let's set a goal for him. It must be obtainable for him and the time frame needs to be realistic. However, the goal should be one that challenges and the change show positive results. Let's use the five miles, but define it further: "My goal is to run five miles without stopping within two weeks." That's obtainable, realistic and challenging!
However, Dreamon can't just run 800 yards one day and wait two weeks and expect to run five miles! He's doomed for failure! There must be a ramp incremented from day 1 to day 14. Five miles divided by 10 is 0.5 miles per day. (I gave him weekends off because God wants us to at least rest on Sunday, and we all need some type of midstream incentive and reward). So on the first day Dreamon is to run one-half mile, day two 1 mile and so forth until on day 10 he runs five miles (after resting on Saturday's and Sunday's).
We should expect Dreamon to fail for one and only one reason: He's not committed. He doesn't see the contract with himself as binding! Where does Dreamon find commitment? God!
Psalm 37:5 (NIV) "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this..."
Whatever "he will do this" means includes running! He wants you to keep his temple in great shape and as long as you're running for the right reasons, he's with you all the way. Just as you "commit yourself to the way of the Lord" you also commit yourself to your set goal. God will help you, but you need two things: 1) will power and 2) self-control!
Let's say that Dreamon is tempted to quit on day two after not even finishing the one-mile goal for that day. He says "My gut really hurts and my legs are tired!" That's no reason for quitting. That's normal. All beginners go through the same thing. They succeed without quitting and so can Dreamon! Dreamon gets a spark from this thought and meets the goal. He was even able to run and extra 1/4 mile because he now acclimated! That's "will power"! Dreamon was elated. He not only isn't a quitter, but he actually surpassed his goal. He feels really good. He's motivated!
On day three Dreamon does quite well. This day he met his 1-1/2 mile intermitten goal with little pain. "It does get easier, he thought!" On day four, tight muscles set in! That happens. Dreamon ran the 2 miles intermitten goal that day, but he stopped to rest. He was really uncomfortable. He could have ran on, realized he could have made it, but quit anyway. He really felt badly and although he made the distance his goal was to run it without STOPPING. Doing what he knows he can do means that Dreamon has "self-control". By stopping he let himself be defeated!
If Dreamon quits he has little commitment. This is the problem with most people! If they don't quite measure up to their own expectations and abilities, they just quit without a fight. That's the reason fat people stay fat, smokers continue smoking and liars keep lying. They have no or little commitment. It takes WORK to succeed! Nothing can be achieved by someone else handing you the results. You must be the one to do it!
Dreamon has two choices! He can either quit and be a quitter or he can renew his commitment. He tells himself "If others can do it, so can I!" and know that he's being truthful! Dreamon decides to recommit to making his goal! (Hurray for him. He didn't quit!) After Dreamon made up his mind things became easier. Each day he firmly established one thing: I will run today's mileage without stopping (or even crawling). Guess what? He kept that attitude and at the end of day 14 (resting on Saturday's and Sunday's) Dreamon Anybody ran five miles without stopping! He felt good physically and mentally. When Anyone, not just Mr. Anybody, is committed they are most often successful and feel good about themselves. When we feel good about ourselves, we set higher goals and we improve. We do it "One Day at a Time"!
Smokers can quit smoking this way, gluttons can quit overeating in the same way, thieves can quit stealing, lusters can quit lusting and blasphemers can quit blaspheming! You're not alone! God is with you. His Spirit resides here and comforts. Through prayer, meditation, fasting and Scripture, we can do it!
Although, I've used a worldly metaphor for Dreamon Anybody to commit to running, Dreamon needs the same commitment in his devotion to the Lord!
1 Kings 8:60 (NIV) " so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” "
Yes, Dreamon believes he can run five miles, but he's got to be committed to running that distance. Likewise Dreamon believes in the Lord, but must commit himself to Jesus. Commitment is running the race and finishing!
1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV) "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."
Yes, there is more than one prize for eternal life, but "Run in such a way as to get the prize"!
That's comitment! That's self-control! When we say "Jesus, I believe!" the race has just begun. Live a Christlike life and turn to God in all things! If God calls you to preach, then preach! Even if you set a five-mile goal, turn to God.
Dreamon Anybody is a new man! He not only made a commitment to and ran the endurance race, but he also committed his life to God! Not only is he successful in this life, but now has eternal life as well! This can be you! Because Dreamon is a new man, he wants a new name! "Truly Anybody" is more fitting! Anybody can truly be what they envision. Truly Anybody can be a devoted Christian!
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