Stand, by commitment!

  I have not written in a while. Sorry, I had to marry my first high school sweet heart. But alas, this plays a big part in what I plan to bring in this session of “Stand”.

  As I stated before, I have spent a large part of my life chasing my hearts desires. Ironically, Psalm 37 is my favorite chapter in the Bible. It speaks of trust, commitment, delight, rest and what comes from following this formula. I know it, I believe it and yet I have had difficulties following it.

  This world is filled with so many things that distract us and bring us little bits of happiness, but all this world has to offer pales in comparison to what the Father wants to bestow upon us. The little bits of joy and happiness are short lived and usually come with consequences that we can do without.

  I am reminded of sermons from the pastor of my youth. He would speak of hedonism (the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life). It is so easy to fall into this thinking when our hearts and minds are not set on Christ. Whether it is social, spiritual, psychological or physical, we as humans want to feel good. We wake each day and seek whatever it is that makes us feel better. A cup of coffee, a kiss, our favorite foods, exercise, books, TV or any number of things, the issue does not lie with any of these things, it is in what we are trying to fulfill, what we are “committing” ourselves to.

  I love a good steak and a salad, in my mind I believe I could be happy having such for every meal. However, I would grow tired, eventually of the same old thing for every meal, every day. I love physical contact, but seeking this outside of God’s plan can bring, and has brought, many consequences and pain to myself and those close to me.

  During our “courtship” time, my now wife Michelle ready The Resolution, she the one for women, I the one for men.  Shelly had seen the movie courageous but I had not at that time. But I believe the Spirit of the Lord was directing us to read the study the movie is based on. We also wholehearted committed ourselves to abstinence, not only from sex, but from kissing as well. You see, I had never kissed her.

  Michelle and I met at a Christian school where there was this “six inch rule”. Boys and girls were not allowed to touch each other in order to prevent us from “going too far”. It may seem old-fashioned, but if we practiced this more, we would have less “social issues” than we have.

  In following this commitment, we both have experienced something that neither of us thought would be possible. I can’t go into detail, but I will say it was well worth the commitment, resolve and the wait. And this has also confirmed what we learned in the Resolution and have read in Psalm 37.

 God wants to give us more than we can fathom just as any parent would. He just asks us to “commit” ourselves to Him. In doing so, He will give us our hearts desires. But before you get carried away, these desires will not have their roots in our humanistic, hedonistic side, but God will actually place the desires HE wants us to have, in our hearts. That’s right, by trusting in, resting on and committing to the Father, God will place His desires in our hearts and they will become our desires.

  It is plain and simple. Jesus  said “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Stand, by commitment to God!