A Pastor’s Perspective

“Total Commitment” by Mike Hill, pastor of Calvary Chapel Aberdeen (mjhill@ida.net)

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“Mmm…fresh eggs and bacon!”  Bacon and eggs are an all-time American favorite.  Just slip inside any family restaurant in the morning and what is the first tantalizing aroma that teases your senses?  Bacon and eggs!  Sure, I’ve had lots of eggs, ham, bacon and sausage prepared in many ways, but nothing compares to the fresh stuff.  The kind you can’t get in a supermarket.  The eggs my daughter retrieves from our own chickens and the recently butchered hog we acquired really do taste more fresh and rich to us.  When Paul declared that “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1Timothy 4:3, 4), I respond with a hearty “Amen!” and feast on God’s bounty.  I pity PETA people; I guess their god isn’t so kind.

All this talk about breakfast reminds me of a story.  There was a certain compassionate and hard-working farmer who had a hen and a pig that became great friends.  The hen said to the pig, “Hey, y’know what, Harry Hog?  We’ve got the best farmer around!”  The pig responded, “You know it, Miss Cluck!”  The hen’s feathers suddenly stood on end with excitement and she dashed around the pig.  The pig asked, “What’s the matter?”  The hen rapidly replied, “I just got an idea!  Let’s show our appreciation to Farmer Joe this morning by making him breakfast.  We can make ham and eggs!”  The pig paused.  After a few minutes of deep thought, the pig finally said, “Okay.  I’ll do it.”  The hen asked, “Why did it take so long for you to decide?”  The pig soberly answered, “Well, your contribution to the breakfast is simply a donation, but mine requires total commitment.”

Jesus gave His life for you.  Your salvation required total commitment on His part.  He purchased you from the slavery of sin by His own blood.  The Bible says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  What does He desire from you in return?  Total commitment.  If you are a Christian, you now belong to Him.  Paul exhorts you to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (cf. Romans 12:1, 2).  Your commitment to Jesus is to be top priority over your own dreams and desires or plans and priorities.  Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me…For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23, 25).  Jesus even places a relationship with Him as more important than with other family members!  He shockingly declared, “If you want to be My follower you must love Me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26 NLT).

If you were to receive an evaluation from the Lord right now concerning your heart and life, would your relationship with Jesus be described as “total commitment”?  Or do you have scrambled priorities?  Pray like the psalmist who cried out to God, “Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear (i.e., reverence or honor) Your name” (Psalm 86:11b NIV).