I once heard someone say, “People don’t fall in and out of love, they fall in and out of commitment.” This is a mantra that I have taken into my own life, a mantra that I live by. Commitment, more than anything else will have an impact on success. 

The more time I spend with that statement the more time I wonder if I am committed to the right things. The way I break it down, there are two basic types of commitment: cause and discipline.

If you are committed to a cause, then you show up and you rally support. You won’t let it go, and you want to see it through. It is especially great in those things where you don’t really care if you are happy or not. For example, I am a committed Reds fan. I spend money on the team (when I have it), I root for them, and I watch the games when I can. No other baseball team will have my support. But, at the end of the day, they aren’t on my daily priority list. Tons of people have committed their life to Christ. They are committed Christians and they make it a priority to go to church on Sunday. I hear couples say all the time, “I’m committed to my partner.” That commitment is great. That overarching commitment is what keeps couples together, but commitment to a cause is different from being committed to discipline.

Being committed to discipline changes the way you operate. It is one thing to go to church every week and something completely different to be in the Word every day. Commitment to discipline does more than just rally support; it impacts everything else in your life. When I hear couples say that they are committed, I want to ask them this simple question, “What are you committed to?” Commitment to being married is not enough to nurture a relationship, just as being committed to going to church is different from being committed to following Jesus. True commitment starts with the idea that I will do whatever it takes to make something work. In my own marriage I’m committed to prayer, communication, dating my wife, and to being honest about how I feel.  My commitment to those things on a daily basis makes my overarching commitment much more achievable. My commitment to following Jesus is about being in the Word, being in prayer, and being of service to my neighbor. 

Commitment to discipline has a profound way of simplifying your choices. It creates a routine that sets you up for success, and if your commitment to discipline remains strong, it will change your life.

What are you committed to?
How do your commitments play out?