From the Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
I saw a billboard a while back while driving on I-75 near Flint, Michigan.
It was one of those slogans promoting recruitment for the United States Marines Corps.
This particular sign said, “We don’t take applications, only commitments.”
I chewed on that for a while as I continued my drive home.
A phrase like that can be taken two ways.
It can come across somewhat arrogant and condescending or it can challenge.
An application is something I throw out there along with a number of other requests designed to widen my scope of options.
A commitment, on the other hand, is a pledge of obligation to one cause, to the exclusion of all others.
There is no “see-if-I-like-it” phase with commitment.
With commitment you’re all in.
Period.
You’ve signed on the dotted line and there is no turning back.
Someone who is committed keeps their word and is deemed dependable when called upon to perform their duty.
Can you imagine a marine who decides in the heat of battle that he has changed his mind?
Such instability would endanger every soldier in his platoon.
Of course, a husband or wife, or church member, or employee, or teammate who isn’t committed wouldn’t fare much better, now would they?
Husband, wife, are you committed to your marriage?
Employee, does it matter to you if you see your job through to completion?
Athlete, do you bother to show up to practice with your team?
Folks, it may be time to take a closer look at our commitments.
