Is Commitment the Same As Faithfulness? (Part I)

I searched for the word commitment in several translations, and I could not find it. However, the words that are used readily are faithfulness and obedience. It is important to differentiate between commitment and faithfulness.

We begin our spiritual walk with confessing that we are sinners, and we make a decision to follow Jesus in all aspects of life. This commitment begins our walk with God.

As we begin to walk with the Lord, He teaches us to become faithful people. Faithfulness is one of the characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes we mistake commitment with faithfulness. Faithfulness to God is the backdrop of any commitment we make to people!

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. Genesis 12:1-4

Abraham was a faithful man. When the Lord asked Him to leave His family and go to a place where he had never been before, he was willing to trust God and obey Him. He remained faithful to the Lord but not necessarily committed to staying with his family for the rest of his life.

Commitment is the by-product of faithfulness. It is tied to our assignment. For example, when we make a covenant to be married, the commitment is for a lifetime. However, there are other assignments such as a friendship or a place to live that could be a commitment for a season of life but not necessarily a lifetime commitment!

We stay committed for so long as the Lord has asked us to stay committed. When He asks us to move on from an assignment or a relationship, then our faithfulness will lead us to obey and move on.

If we are too focused on being committed, we may remain in a certain situation but not remain faithful to God! If Abraham had not been faithful to God, he may not have experienced the fulfillment of God’s purposes and promises in his life. The Lord promised Abraham long ago that all the nations were going to be blessed through him, and we are all beneficiaries of Abraham’s faithfulness.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.