The Cost of Commitment
"If you love me, you will keep my commands" - John 14:15
Jesus did not mix words. He made a direct connection between love and obedience. Not because He’s keeping score, but because real love always leads to action. If you love Him, you’ll follow Him. Not just with your lips, but with your life.
In Luke 6, Jesus described a man who built his house on the rock. That man didn’t just hear the word; he acted on it. He dug deep. He took the time, the effort, the sweat, and the struggle to make sure what he built could stand. That’s what commitment looks like. It isn’t the fastest way. It isn’t the easiest. But it is the only way that lasts.
The same is true for following Jesus. Obedience requires commitment. Not just on the good days when faith feels easy, but on the hard ones when everything in you wants to quit. Jesus said if anyone wants to follow Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and walk the same path He walked. That’s not comfortable. That’s not quick. But it’s what faith looks like when it’s real.
We live in a world that values convenience. If something takes too long, we move on. If it’s too hard, we find a shortcut. But there’s no shortcut to obedience. There’s no hack for deep roots. You either dig or you don’t. And if you don’t, when the storm hits, what you’ve built won’t hold.
You are not the first person to wrestle with commitment. The early church struggled with it, too. So have countless believers across generations. What matters most is not whether you’ve ever fallen short; it’s whether you’re willing to stand back up and keep digging. Keep trusting. Keep obeying.
Love for Jesus isn’t proven by how loudly we sing. It’s proven by whether or not we do what He says. And that kind of life can’t be built in a hurry. It takes time. It takes faith. And most of all, it takes commitment.
Jesus did not mix words. He made a direct connection between love and obedience. Not because He’s keeping score, but because real love always leads to action. If you love Him, you’ll follow Him. Not just with your lips, but with your life.
In Luke 6, Jesus described a man who built his house on the rock. That man didn’t just hear the word; he acted on it. He dug deep. He took the time, the effort, the sweat, and the struggle to make sure what he built could stand. That’s what commitment looks like. It isn’t the fastest way. It isn’t the easiest. But it is the only way that lasts.
The same is true for following Jesus. Obedience requires commitment. Not just on the good days when faith feels easy, but on the hard ones when everything in you wants to quit. Jesus said if anyone wants to follow Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and walk the same path He walked. That’s not comfortable. That’s not quick. But it’s what faith looks like when it’s real.
We live in a world that values convenience. If something takes too long, we move on. If it’s too hard, we find a shortcut. But there’s no shortcut to obedience. There’s no hack for deep roots. You either dig or you don’t. And if you don’t, when the storm hits, what you’ve built won’t hold.
You are not the first person to wrestle with commitment. The early church struggled with it, too. So have countless believers across generations. What matters most is not whether you’ve ever fallen short; it’s whether you’re willing to stand back up and keep digging. Keep trusting. Keep obeying.
Love for Jesus isn’t proven by how loudly we sing. It’s proven by whether or not we do what He says. And that kind of life can’t be built in a hurry. It takes time. It takes faith. And most of all, it takes commitment.
Subscribe Now for Daily Devotionals
Recent
Archive
2025
July
What Are You Hiding From?Where Worry GrowsWhere Security Really Comes FromChange What You’re Looking AtAnswer the Right QuestionsWhere Are You Looking?Go to the Right WellLet Go of the GripQuit Trying to Outmuscle WorryRunning on EmptyWhen “Lord” is Just a WordDig Deeper Before the StormWhen the Work Feels Too HardThe Slow Work That LastsWhat Were You ThinkingDo You Trust Him?Not Everything Sweet is SafeSay It or Show ItMore Than a NameThe Weight Behind the WordsThe Cost of CommitmentMore Than Good IntentionsThe Neighbor You’re BecomingWhat Are You Known ForSlow Down and See ThemEyes to See, Time to StopWhat Comes FirstMercy MovesWho Are You Really After?The Right Name, the Wrong HeartPower Matters
August
Living a Life That Makes People Ask WhyWhen Your Life Makes No SenseWhen Normal Isn’t the GoalThe Right Kind of QuestionableWhen Motives Get MisunderstoodThere’s a Bigger Story at WorkWhen They Question Your WhyWhen Your Way Gets QuestionedWhen Obedience Breaks ExpectationsWhose Glory Are You Seeking?When the Cross Seems QuestionableBless Someone TodayA Little Can Bless a LotThe Power in Just Showing UpWhen Obedience Doesn’t Make SenseMore Than EnoughThe Beauty of Broken ThingsProtecting the Wrong ThingThe Danger of Misplaced EffortWhat Are You Trading?The First Trade You Must MakePick Up What Matters MostLet Go to GainThe Cost of the CastleTrade the Gavel for GraceThe Exchange That Changes EverythingThe Bold AskWhat Do You Want?Ask With the Right HeartDesire Isn’t EnoughTotal Dependence
September
The Gospel at the TableKnow Him to Show HimSent People Live Sent LivesConnection at the TableWhen the Word Comes BackSent for a ReasonWhen the Word is FoundThe Power of the TableSent but Still SittingA Table That Changes EverythingOne Day Can Change EverythingWhen Obedience is UncomfortableRunning Never WorksSing AnywayGod RenewsUndeniableThe Power of PresenceThe Word RenewsTime for a Heart CheckWhere Renewal BeginsThe Mind You FeedGod Relates to YouWhen Jesus Comes to the TableUnashamedForged in the OrdinaryLet It Challenge YouHold On Without WaveringThe Narrow DoorGod RescuesUnafraid
No Comments