Obliged or Committed?

Applying human standards of behavior to God’s ways is dangerous, but I do think I have an analogy that might work.  I had an interesting conversation early this morning with two photographer friends about the level of a photographers skill being directly proportional to his or her commitment to the craft!  When you get married in a traditional ceremony you pledge your commitment to your partner.  Under your pledge you are “obligated”, but if there is not a desire to keep that commitment it will be of very little value. Our relationship with God is the same, it is only our deep desire to keep our commitments that have lasting value.  When we are obliged we may develop the attitude that we are being forced, almost against our will, to a behavior, not of our choosing.  Commitment is when we want deeply to “stay the course”.  In my own marriage, I’m not obligated to love and honor my wife, it is my hearts desire.  Much of the credit for that goes to her, she is the kind of wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and love that makes it impossible for me to feel otherwise.  So it should be in our relationship with our Heavenly Father!  The love that He show us when he sacrificed His Only Son for us, makes it impossible to have any other kind of relationship with Him.

My desire is to keep my commitment to Him fresh and alive.  When you consider all He has done for us, that’s not hard to do.

the pilgrim