Commitment {in a non-committed world.}

A challenge to myself.

A week ago today I was engaged in a conversation that consisted of other adults who were older than I am. The majority of the conversation consisted of what Christianity in the world looks like today, where Christianity and the Church will be in the future and we as a people who are the Church.

I believe I'm very lucky to be in a body where the people are actually committed to each other - We 

 truly are just like a family for the most part. I'm thankful that God has blessed me and my family in this way. When it comes down to the core of our Church I'm never concerned that I'll be without true genuine relationship, accountability and etc.

 However, when the conversation above took place we all agreed that commitment to people in general is not what it should be. Not from within ourselves because we are really great with each other. If you look at Christians today though - there is still so much of this {worldly} "I care about my self first," and then I'll care about you attitude. It's kind of been weighing on my heart a lot. We're just not doing what we should - we're simply not committed to people who need the Lord {or each other for that matter} as we should be. Oh sure, we invite them to Church once in a while, maybe send them a note via internet or text, maybe we even call them or invite them to dinner.... And then we're satisfied, as if we've actually done our job and can now check this off some kind of "I'm pleasing to God list!" It was hard for me because I know I'm a part of this - I know that in this area I fall short more often than I should. How do I fix it? 

Then of course God does His thing and pushes this in my face even more. I don't believe in coincidence and I definitely believe that God is trying to teach me through it. Maybe He's trying to help me see how important it is to be committed to Him and His work. I feel as though I'm pretty committed, but it's one of those things - I'm so humanly flawed. 
I've had a lot of issues lately with poor leadership, with trying to stay committed to people who don't seem to want that commitment anymore, and with watching others who are supposed to be committed and just aren't. I can't do much about the first one, except for choose not to be this - to rise above and be the best leader that I can be. The second one is rather exhausting. Especially lately, because I just don't get it. I hate when people just make assumptions and then you let them know their assumption is wrong and then it still remains the same? I'm just so confused. And there's no open honesty either. So you try and try and try and try - and for what? How does someone stay committed to a person who just doesn't seem to care anymore. Ugh. Very frustrating. And the last one - I'm still working through this. I want to be better and I want to help others be better too. Isn't that what God wants? For us to help each other be better? Doesn't God want us to be truly committed? Doesn't He want us to rise above the world's standards? Doesn't He want us to be on guard against our own sinful flesh? 

I know I can't change other people. So, I have to challenge myself, in hope & prayer, that I can be a better example to the ones I'm leading, to the ones who come after me. I pray the Lord shows my heart what I can work on - where I need change. I pray that I continue to try with the ones I struggle with and I also pray that I allow myself to be completely committed to the things God has for me. 

1 John 3:17-18
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Philippians 2:3-7
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.