What does your life
– your time, your actions, your words –
say that you are committed to?
Good questions have a way of haunting us. They creep around the edges of our lives. They are always present, ever near, phantom like. They jump out at times and surprise us. At other times they dart and hide again, and our peripheral vision catches just a hint of a shape. At other times, we don’t even get a glance at the question, but we have a sense it is looming. We can feel the weight of it even though we can not see it.
This question of commitment has been haunting me this week. I have many responsibilities in my life. At times when I realize the weight of these, it overwhelms me. It turns my stomach inside out. How can I take care of all that has been entrusted to me?
So how does commitment play into this? I can be passively responsible for lots of things, but being actively committed is another thing all together.
Actively committed means that it is not simply an obligation or something I am checking off of my list, but it is something I am giving my time, energy and heart to. A singular focus type of living.
How do we get at what we are really committed to?
Write the question down. (Writing something has a way of getting into you heart and head – you can even feel the weight of the words.
What does your life – your time, actions, words – say that you are committed to?
Give yourself sometime alone with the question. For some this might be in the morning when the house is quiet. Some it might mean on the drive to or from work. For others it might be when everyone is asleep and the sun has long been set. Make the time to sit with the question.
Ask God for wisdom and clarity. We often deceive ourselves. We don’t know what we don’t see in our lives. We need wisdom from God. We need Divine clarity. Simple prayers like, “God show me what I need to see. Show me how to live my days. Reveal to me what I am committed to.”
Write down what you are committed presently. Some of these things could be good, some could be bad.
Write down what you feel like you are being called to be committed to. Name it. Don’t be afraid to write down those things you need to give yourself to even if you don’t know how to do it.
Talk to someone about your reflections. Life does not happen in isolation. Talk it out. Wrestle it out. Listen to your friend’s wisdom. Listen to their questions. Write it down.
Determine and take the next step. It might be letting some bad or ‘not best’ commitments go. It might be making a new commitment. Ask that friend to walk this next step out with you.
This is not formula. It is not 2 + 2 = 4. It is about living it out. It is about the process and moving forward.
Let the question haunt you.
Let it drive you to prayer and to others.
Let it move you forward.