We were recently discussing the concept of “commitment” in the Christian life. Several issues arose. Among them:
- Is it appropriate for church leaders (preachers) to repeatedly ask congregants to “recommit” their lives to Christ?
- Is it appropriate for Christians to “recommit” periodically?
- What is “commitment” in the Christian life?
The word “commit” looks to me like one of those serious words that implies some degree of permanance, or finality. In other words, I feel like if I “commit” something I shouldn’t be concerned about doing it again, at least in the near future.
We talked about this in Sunday School and most of us agreed that we have experienced groups that seemed to vary in their ideas about this. Some of us have observed groups (churches) where people were encouraged to recommit on a weekly basis, and individuals who seemed to respond with “recommitment” almost as frequently.
Here is our dilemma: We certainly don’t want to discourage people from maintaining or renewing their relationship with God. On the other hand, we would like to encourage people to take their commitments seriously. Or, maybe our own view of commitment is too exalted and it is perfectly reasonable for serious commitments to require frequent renewal.
This is a great topic for discussion. I hope others will contribute and help us expand our understanding of “commitment” in the Christian life. Have at it!
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