Commitment

The grass isn't always greener on the other side - it sounds trite to say, but it is so very true. Unfortunately, many people leave marriages, jobs, and churches with the thought that it will be better somewhere else - not realizing that every marriage they are in, job they have, and church they attend will have some of the same elements. It is learning to deal with these elements that will help us be content with where God has us.

What we need to remember is that along with the good there will always be:

In marriage - disagreements, bad days, times of disappointment, frustrated feelings, misunderstandings, times you don't get your way or what you want, and times you feel alone;

At work - employees who don't do their share of the work and a boss who never sees that, people you don't necessarily like and definitely don't get along with, frustrating days, hard days, busy days, less recognition than you think you deserve, and the occasional feeling of "you can't pay me enough to do this;"

At church - people that frustrate you, an opinionated older person, a busybody (or two), someone struggling to understand a passage that you already understand, people who are more mature spiritually than you, baby Christians - no matter their physical age, hurt feelings, messages that you feel "aren't for you," and people that don't share your view on certain issues.

(*note - there are some things that should never be:
In marriage - abuse of any kind or infidelity;
At work - physical or emotional abuse or sexual harassment;
At church - teaching or preaching that goes contrary to the Word of God)

I don't intend to sound lackadaisical about things or come off as having the attitude that we should settle for whatever and be content with second best. In fact the exact opposite is true of how I feel.

We should strive to have the best marriage possible, to give our best at a job where we feel useful and productive, and to be an active member of a church where we can worship and serve the Lord with our whole being. But all of this doesn't just happen overnight - it takes time and commitment.

Marriage gets better with time - every aspect of it. It was God's plan for marriage to be between one man and one woman for life! He honors that decision - trust Him!

Jobs get easier the longer you stay at them - it's a proven fact.

Churches need committed Christians - people who are not only committed to Christ but also committed to the body of believers to which they have aligned!

I think a lot of the strain and stress we have in our lives we put there ourselves. We can have a much more stable and much less stressful life just by being content in our commitments.

Be married for life - weather the storms together.

Work hard because work is hard - so stick to it. I used to tell labor patients "this is why we call it labor - because it's hard work."

Love the church God has called you to - love it on good days and love it on bad days. Be wholly committed to it.