Total Commitment

“Not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”—Romans 14:7–8 NASB

It can be natural to think about ourselves first: our needs and interests, our feelings and pleasures. But everything changes when we surrender our lives to Jesus. He becomes our Lord. If He is Lord, we always are to serve and trust Him. We are not to think about ourselves first anymore; we need to think about others instead. We are not to worry about anything, but we are to allow Him to meet our needs.

If we continue to struggle, we can remember the simple guideline that Paul gave: We are to be completely committed to God’s Kingdom in every part of our lives.

The Bible teaches that success comes to those who make this total commitment. Their life is the Lord’s. They realize, like Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

This commitment can relieve us of many burdens. It frees us from cares and worries about our lives, our reputations, and how our needs will be met. When we are committed to Him, we simply serve Him all the time and are vessels for His Spirit. And we completely trust in Him for everything.

Today, surrender your life anew to God. Throughout the day, consider what this means. Take joy in serving Him, and don’t seek credit for yourself. Trust in Him for everything! No matter what happens, you are His. Make a total commitment to Jesus!

Reflection Question:Compose a prayer of commitment.