Are You Committed Or Merely Interested?

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying [building up - strengthening] of the body of Christ" - Ephesians 4:11-12

In golf there is a term "hacker". (Today, that term has taken on a new and more ominous meaning associated with cyberspace) A hacker is someone who is interested in golf, but not interested in doing what is necessary to be very good at golf. Like anything else - to be "good" at something requires some mental or physical capacity, commitment (practice and study) and sacrifice (time). I read that professional golfers spend 3 to 4 hours a day just driving the ball from the tee (long game) and spend an equal amount of time on their short game. 

In 1993 I attended my first Promise Keepers conference in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Howard Hendricks, a nationally known seminary professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the speakers. It seems he played the piano - you might say he was a "hacker" at playing the piano. He said that his favorite concert pianist was Van Cliburn. A golf equivalent might be Tiger Woods. Dr. Hendricks said he always wanted to play the piano like Van Cliburn. (Van is his first name BTW). Well, a friend of Dr Hendricks got stage passes for he and Dr. Hendricks to meet Van Cliburn at a concert in Dallas. When he met Van Cliburn, Dr. Hendricks asked, given his mastery of the 88 keys, how many hours a day Van Cliburn practiced the piano. The answer - 8 hours a day. It was at that point that Dr. Hendricks realized that he really didn't want to play the piano like Van Cliburn.

The point to the story? There is a vast difference between being interested and being committed. Many are interested but few are committed. Being committed requires discipline. Discipline requires intentionality - determination - effort. Being disciplined means making sacrifices and establishing priorities. 

You may not have been called to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, but we are all saints who are called to and must be equipped for some ministry. We all have a God-given purpose - the spiritual place we have been given in the Body of Christ.

"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all" - 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

My goal, given your spiritual capacity, is not to encourage you to aspire to be like some famous Christian - like Billy Graham - but merely to be determined to be who God intends you to be doing what He intended you to do. To be like Jesus! And that will take determination and discipline and sacrifice and most of all submission to the Spirit of God who is your capacity.  

"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" - Romans 8:29

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone