Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester. OK
July 23, 2012

“A Commitment to Excellence!”
“For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life.” – Proverbs 6:26

It’s not often I am stumped for understanding but it is taking me a while to come up with a way to explain this verse. I think I hear a bowl of ice cream calling me which just might open up the creative juices. Am I being seduced or just distracted? I will get back to you on that one. Okay…now that I have had some time to think this through I believe I have a direction to go—and it has to do with our commitments.
How do you define commitment? I’m not asking you to open up Webster’s dictionary and then call me up with the definition—what I want to know is what does commitment look like to you?
I am going to make a rather bold statement here and say I do not believe that you can be “partially committed.” It’s kind of like trying to describe “partly cloudy,” or “partly sunny.” It’s either one or the oither…I have as of yet to figure out which one is which—it’s either cloudy or it’s sunny!
When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus did not hesitate: “…love the Lord your God with (all) your heart, with (all) your soul, and with (all) your mind, and with (all) your strength…” (Luke 10:27, NIV; Emphasis mine) All is a pretty big word and one you cannot ignore. It commands attention—demands involvement and encompasses our entire being. What Jesus was saying is that a relationship with God is not a partial commitment.
How does this apply to this verse? Simple—how can one be committed to one’s partner while giving themselves to someone or something else? Relationship demands all and you cannot give your heart and soul in pieces. It just does not work that way.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:24

I believe what Jesus was saying in this verse is exactly what Solomon was trying to get across in Proverbs 6. You cannot be divided in what you give your all to. Are you committed to God? Then we are to give our all to him! Are you a committed husband…wife? Then give your all to that person. Are you a father…mother? Give your all to your children! Are you an employee? Give your all to your job! Are you a member of a Church? Give your all to that Church for by doing so you are giving all to God!
I am not being contradictory here. We can give our all to each of these—but it begins by giving all to God. When we do that He gives us the power and ability to be all we can be to all other areas of life. However, and this is what I believe this verse to be saying, if we are not committed to God first, someone or something will drain our spirit until there is nothing left to give. It is as the title says—a commitment to excellence.
Pastor J. T. Carnell