Commit To The Journey

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When my wife and I got married and said our vows I don’t know that we could have anticipated how quickly some of those commitments would be tested. It was within about a month of saying “I do” that I ended up becoming very sick and my poor wife had to take me to the ER multiple times and really was put through the ringer. Despite all the sickness, stress, and bad smells it helped us develop resilience in our marriage early and helped us to better create a foundation built on Christ. In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul reminds us to, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” So the question is what are some ways we can stay committed and moving forward in our relationships that matter most?

One way is to commit to being equal partners. We need to remember that we are on the same team and on the same journey together, so we need to work together. In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 we learn that two are better than one because we can help each other when things are tough. In verse twelve it ends with, “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” This passage carries beautiful symbolism of the idea of intertwining our relationships with Christ, that when we are connected together through Christ that our relationships are much tougher and harder to break.  Learn to fight for each other not just with each other. There is enough against us in this world we don’t need the people closest to us to be as well, so fight for each other.

Another way to commit is to commit to serve and to submit to each other. In Ephesians 5:21-31 we find a famous section of scripture in which Paul is talking about marriage and the roles of husbands and wives. This section is often taken out of context and used to make the husband be the end all be all authority and leader in the marriage. The truth is that God has created both male and female in His imagine with equal value, gifting, and responsibility. While the passage does speak of women submitting to their husbands, it also speaks of husband loving their wives like Christ loves the church giving his entire body and self to the bride. The biggest mishandling of this section of scripture is not starting with Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” You see Jesus told His followers He didn’t come to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28) which is the model we should follow in every relationship. If we want to honor Christ and serve Him, then we must choose to serve and submit to each other because it will help us become more Christ like.

Finally commit to give those you love the most the best not the rest. It is sad that we often times give the people we love most the leftovers in our life. In Proverbs 3:8 it says, “Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best.”  I believe that part of giving God our best is making sure that we are taking care of our closest relationships He has given us (marriage, parenting, family, etc…) and making sure that He is at the center of those relationships. When it comes to raising kids remember that it’s just a phase, so don’t miss it. You don’t get seasons back so make sure you make the most of each one, be a good steward of your time and relationships. Don’t let the blessings of a season be robbed by the stresses of a season.

Psalm 37:5 challenges us to “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” May we take that challenge in our lives and relationships from this day forward.

-Pastor Aaron

Aaron Perry