Feb 25
Contribution or Commitment
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It was holiday time down on the farm and all of the animals had been given the day off. Rocky the rooster hadn’t bothered to set his 4am alarm, and Barbara the sheep had decided to stay snuggled up in bed watching what she hoped would be a peaceful movie: The Silence of The Lambs.
Percival the pig and Henrietta the chicken decided to go for a walk together. They got to the end of the farm driveway and turned left onto the main road into town. They had walked and talked for over an hour when Percival began complaining that he was hungry. Around the next corner Henrietta spotted a small cafe, so the two friends approached the front door. One sign on the door read ‘We are open!’ and another declared ‘Ham and eggs our speciality!’
“This doesn’t seem fair!” complained Percival.
“Why ever not?” asked Henrietta.
“Because all they want from you is a little contribution. From me they require total commitment!”
In John chapter 6, after Christ fed the 5000, Peter gave a great statement describing the disciples’ commitment to Jesus and His ministry, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy one of God.”
“Lord, to whom shall we go?” – If I am committed to God, I have no contingency plan. I have no ‘parachute’ just in case I think that God’s plan for me may not work out.
“You have the words of eternal life.” – Nothing is as important, and no intention is as pure as setting our sights on eternity and dedicating our energy to Christ’s eternal purpose.
“ We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy one of God.” – My commitment can be directly measured by my knowledge of Who God is. The more familiar I become with the character of my Saviour, the more committed I am; commitment becomes who I am and not what I do.
Ask yourself: Am I committed to Christ? Am I truly committed to the ministry to which He has called me? Principled and passionate purpose, selfless and supreme sacrifice, correct and complete commitment— is my prayer for all of us.
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Thank you for sharing this insightful and thought-provoking post. It reminds me of the importance of commitment and devotion in our lives, particularly in our relationship with God. Just like Percival the pig and Henrietta the chicken, who had different levels of commitment to the cafe, we are often faced with choices that require varying levels of commitment. Henrietta's willingness to make a small contribution, while Percival hesitated due to the greater commitment required, reflects the different ways in which we approach our commitment to God.
The verse from John chapter 6 is a powerful reminder of the disciples' unwavering commitment to Jesus and His ministry. When Peter asked, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" he was expressing their deep conviction and belief in Jesus as the Holy one of God. This level of commitment is inspiring and challenges us to evaluate our own commitment to Christ and His purpose for our lives.
I appreciate the emphasis on the importance of having no contingency plan when it comes to our commitment to God. It's a reminder that true commitment means putting our trust and faith entirely in God's plan, without a backup or alternative in case things don't go as we expect. This requires a level of trust and surrender that can be challenging but ultimately leads to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.
Asking ourselves whether we are truly committed to Christ and His ministry is a vital reflection. It prompts us to examine our motives, actions, and priorities, ensuring that we are aligned with God's will and purpose for our lives. I for one know that at this point in my life I am a contributor, not fully committed like Helen and Gav are, and for the likes of those I am eternally grateful.
I think this insight ties in well with the Feelings tree https://fab.church/worship/feelings-tree/ post, as I can relate both my personal life and my relationship with God, simply by looking at it.
Thank you for sharing these insights.
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Thanks Sean. It's a tough one. Following Jesus is perhaps less about believing the 'right' thing and more about being an apprentice of Jesus. We are all apprentices. Our quest should simply be to stick to Jesus; to look, listen, and learn from Him; and to try and be like Him in all we think, do, and say. There's no hierarchy of commitment, and I am 'lucky' that I get to hide behind a dog collar and title of respectability, but I'm no different to you or anyone else, save perhaps that I have been blessed to be able to respond to a deep-seated call to serve others and help them meet Jesus as best I can. I hope that doesn't sound pious! My inner struggles with temptation, selfishness, pride, doubt, and insecurity are very real, and I sometimes wonder if all this... FAB, my newspaper artcles, music, etc. are as much for my own benefit as anyone elses. I need Jesus too. x
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Thank you for sharing this insightful and thought-provoking post. It reminds me of the importance of commitment and devotion in our lives, particularly in our relationship with God. Just like Percival the pig and Henrietta the chicken, who had different levels of commitment to the cafe, we are often faced with choices that require varying levels of commitment. Henrietta's willingness to make a small contribution, while Percival hesitated due to the greater commitment required, reflects the different ways in which we approach our commitment to God.
The verse from John chapter 6 is a powerful reminder of the disciples' unwavering commitment to Jesus and His ministry. When Peter asked, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" he was expressing their deep conviction and belief in Jesus as the Holy one of God. This level of commitment is inspiring and challenges us to evaluate our own commitment to Christ and His purpose for our lives.
I appreciate the emphasis on the importance of having no contingency plan when it comes to our commitment to God. It's a reminder that true commitment means putting our trust and faith entirely in God's plan, without a backup or alternative in case things don't go as we expect. This requires a level of trust and surrender that can be challenging but ultimately leads to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.
Asking ourselves whether we are truly committed to Christ and His ministry is a vital reflection. It prompts us to examine our motives, actions, and priorities, ensuring that we are aligned with God's will and purpose for our lives. I for one know that at this point in my life I am a contributor, not fully committed like Helen and Gav are, and for the likes of those I am eternally grateful.
I think this insight ties in well with the Feelings tree https://fab.church/worship/feelings-tree/ post, as I can relate both my personal life and my relationship with God, simply by looking at it.
Thank you for sharing these insights.
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Thanks Sean. It's a tough one. Following Jesus is perhaps less about believing the 'right' thing and more about being an apprentice of Jesus. We are all apprentices. Our quest should simply be to stick to Jesus; to look, listen, and learn from Him; and to try and be like Him in all we think, do, and say. There's no hierarchy of commitment, and I am 'lucky' that I get to hide behind a dog collar and title of respectability, but I'm no different to you or anyone else, save perhaps that I have been blessed to be able to respond to a deep-seated call to serve others and help them meet Jesus as best I can. I hope that doesn't sound pious! My inner struggles with temptation, selfishness, pride, doubt, and insecurity are very real, and I sometimes wonder if all this... FAB, my newspaper artcles, music, etc. are as much for my own benefit as anyone elses. I need Jesus too. x