Commitment

Men and women of character say what they mean and do what they say. They make bold promises and keep them. Their lives are characterized by commitment!

The average person today doesn’t care much about keeping commitments if their commitments are not convenient. The value of his/her word has become so cheap that they break it almost every day. Average salespeople promise things they can’t deliver just to make a sale; average parents promise their children that they’ll tuck them in or take them to the park, yet feel no remorse when they fail to follow through. When average people are late for an appointment, they don’t consider their tardiness to be a broken commitment. I’ve seen many church planters who were guilty of this.

Commitment is the basis for trust, which is the foundation of all relationships. Therefore, breaking it equates to destroying trust. When trust is broken, relationships inevitably become shaky. More than that, when commitments aren’t valued and honored, it undermines the possibility of creating community, which is the essence of what the church is to be.

As church planting leaders, let’s make bold commitments. But let’s stand behind our word, even in the small things. Let’s disciple our people to do the same!