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It All Starts with God’s Commitment…
In spite of the rebelliousness of the people of Judah, God assured them through the prophet Jeremiah that He was committed to their ultimate good. God predicted a time when they would all know Him and when His law would be written on their hearts. In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord declares, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
If God is this committed to us personally, what keeps us from enjoying a full sense of security and significance?
Habakkuk’s Response
What a refreshing statement from Habakkuk! After learning about God’s justice and majesty in chapter 3, this is the prophet’s response to the revelation of God’s character. Habakkuk promised to maintain his attitude regardless of payback.
That’s really what commitment is. The statement, “I will be committed if…” isn’t commitment at all—it’s deal-making.
Advice from the Apostle Paul
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul urges us on God’s behalf to devote ourselves to God—or “fix our attention” on Him, as noted in the above picture. The word “offer” or “place” everything before God implies that this act, much like a wedding vow, occurs once. When we take this step, we’re acknowledging Christ’s leadership in our lives. We sacrifice our selfish desires and misguided ambitions as we strive to align ourselves with God’s will. And the more we give ourselves to Him, the more He will bless and use us.
Have you committed yourself completely to Christ? If not, consider doing so now… For Out of This World Leaders, that’s where it all starts…with a commitment to following Christ and His example for our lives.
Practical Implications for Leaders
Monica Hamori, Jie Cao, and Burak Koyuncu authored the article “Why Top Young Managers are in a Nonstop Job Hunt,” which addresses what happens when a commitment failure occurs between leaders and followers. They point to research that shows “today’s most sought-after early-career professionals are constantly networking and thinking aobut the next step… These young high-achievers are antsy.” They are looking for better opportunities and are ready to move. Nearly 95% “left their companies, on average, after 28 months.”
Why? Hamori, Cao and Koyuncu explain, “Employers are understandably reluctant to make big investments in workers who might not stay long. But this creates a vicious circle: Companies won’t train workers because they might leave, and workers leave because they don’t get training. By offering promising young managers a more balanced menu of development opportunities, employers might boost their inclination to stick around.”
A two-way lack of commitment—the “I-won’t-commit-to-you-because-you-won’t-commit-to-me” cycle has to be broken by someone. Jesus clearly set the pace for total commitment to his followers and therefore He could demand total commitment from His followers.
Out of This World Leaders can only expect the level of commitment from their followers that they are willing to give to their followers. May you follow Jesus’ lead in giving your all—total commitment—to your team members, as you shoot for the stars!