Ernest Smith

Commitment…easy to make and easy to break.  In our culture, it is not uncommon for a person to break the commitments they have made.  A person’s word or a handshake does not carry as much weight as it did a few decades ago, much less a few centuries ago.

For the people of Israel, a person’s word meant everything.  When a person committed to doing something, you could trust that they would come through on that commitment.  A perfect example is the Sons of Reuben, the Sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

These three tribes, or two and a half, were a part of the people of Israel.  They were in the family.  They were three of the twelve tribes that made up the nation.  They were also loyal and committed.

Before the people of Israel crossed over into the Promised Land, these three tribes loved the land where they were currently residing.  It wasn’t God’s best for them to be there, but they still liked where they were. They had a ton of cattle and the land was great for raising cattle. So they were content.

I could stop right there and do a whole post on how we settle for what is good and many times we miss out on what is God’s best.  But, I won’t get off topic.

In Numbers 32, we read about how these tribes asked Moses for permission to stay in the land where they were currently residing.  They didn’t want to enter the Promised Land because the land they were in was good enough.  Moses agreed, but asked them to commit to entering the Promised Land and fighting any enemies the people of Israel would face along the way.  The tribes agreed.

Joshua 4:12-13 states, “The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho.”

This passage is one that is tucked away in a pretty eventful chapter, but it is a passage that speaks to the power of commitment.  Although the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh would be away from their family for months, possibly years; although some of them may die; although the land they are conquering is not even the land they will pass down to their kids and grandkids, these men still crossed the Jordan and were armed for battle.  Why?

Because…Keeping your commitments is a mark of your love for others and the integrity of your character.

Don’t sell it short.  Keeping a commitment is not always easy; it’s not always pleasant; it’s not always rewarding…but it is always the right thing.

That is why Jesus says in Matthew 5:37 to let your yes be your yes and your no, no…anything else comes from the evil one.

That is a hard truth to swallow.  So two things to help us with our commitments.

          1.       Don’t write a check you can’t cash. 

Before you say yes to something, make sure you can say no to everything else.  Don’t make a commitment that you aren’t sure you can’t keep.  If you aren’t sure you can keep a commitment, then say something like “I will try” or “I hope to be able to.”  These types of statements will help you keep your “yes” a “yes” and your “no” a “no”.

          2.       If you break a commitment, ask for forgiveness and grace.

If you are like me then you are probably going to mess up in this area from time to time.  When you do…ask for forgiveness and grace.  We shouldn’t be making commitments that we can’t keep, but when we do break one, just admit it, ask for forgiveness and move on.

Does keeping a commitment come naturally to you?

What hinders you from keeping commitments?