I Sit in the Chair of Commitment

Since I heard the young man speak on Sunday, I have been thinking about what he said and determining what chair I sit in. The Chair of Commitment, Compromise, or Condemned.



At first I believed I sat in the Chair of Compromise. I started writing down ideas that support that statement and I realized that with the criteria I was giving the Chair of Commitment, that no one could possibly sit in that chair but Christ himself!



I started to look at myself and try to see myself through the eyes of people who know me. I thought about how the people at work see me and how my family sees me. I thought about how my brothers and sisters in Christ see me and how God sees me. It was an interesting excercise. I also thought about where my own heart is at most of the time. I thought about my spiritual walk and where it is and where it is going. I though about a lot of things since that young man shared what he had learned and I have come to the conclusion that I am in the Chair of Commitment.



I sit in the chair of Commitment because I am pursuing a closer relationship to God. Sure, I attend church regularly and read my bible. I pray and I do "good deeds". None of those reasons alone are why I sit in the chair of commitment. Those are things anyone can do! The reason I sit in this chair is because God has given me a heart that seeks Him constantly. I study God's Word and have a desire for others to know God as I know Him. I can't get enough and just want to share!



The life I lead is a testimony to the fact that I am a God follower. (At least I hope it is!) and people at work have noticed that I am "different". They notice that I make decisions differently than many people. The decisions I make are based on what is Godly, or biblical, and may at times go against popular public opinion; decisions like what music I choose to listen to, or movies I choose to watch. Maybe even decisions on how to handle certain personnel issues that arise at work, or how I choose to react to defiant and rude customers. In everything I do, I try to find a way to give credit to God and glorify Him. Without Him I am nothing.



I live my life as an open book. I am not intentionally living in sin. I am diligently seeking God and He is changing me. He is sitting in the chair of commitment with me, because He is committed to finishing the good work He started in me.



Does this mean I always do the right thing? Heck NO! That's the thing about God's Grace...and Jesus Christ...I'm covered! It would be a different thing to live in open rebellion and ignore God's Will for my life. Those who adjust their life to scripture are in the Chair of Commitment, those who adjust scripture to their life are in the Chair of Compromise. I think God keeps me in the chair of commitment because I am so commited to staying out of the chair of compromise. I am committed to living life for God, and there are no perfect people sitting in the Chair of Commitment.



I thought about some bible characters as well, determining what chairs they sat in. I see King David in the Chair of Commitment. He faltered, yet his heart always yearned for God and His Law, and repentance always followed. I thought of Jacob and his misdeeds, who I believed moved from the Chair of Compromise to Commitment. There was Judas, who definitely lived more for himself than for God, and that kept him compromising until the end when he moved into the Condemned Chair. I thought of Solomon who though he was committed to God in his youth, did an awful lot of compromising later and wrote a book teaching us about what will happen if we are not diligent in keeping our love relationship with the Lord alive. Solomon taught about what happens if a Christian chooses to sit in the chair of Compromise.



A Christian in the Chair of Compromise would feel comfortable sitting there. Think about it.