Day Thirty-Seven: Are you committed or invested?
“He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain…”
How old were you when you realized you had commitment issues? This may sound like a funny question, but if we’re being honest, commitment scares us, it intimidates us. We likely find ourselves planning an escape route just in case it doesn’t all work out as we hoped. We often withhold mentally, relational, and/or spiritually from things as a defense mechanism to keep us from getting hurt.
I recently realized this myself and it came as a shock. The biggest finding I had was that I had confused being committed for being invested. Let me explain. I’m as committed as they come. If you have my YES for anything, I will do what I said I would do. But just because I’m there, doesn’t mean that I’m all there. I may be checked out somewhere else, or holding something in the emotional reserve tank.
Here’s an analogy for you. When you attend a funeral, there is a statement that is often used at the burial site: “We are going to commit this body to the ground.” Now that body is committed to being in a casket and 6ft under, but it’s not coming back to life, it’s dead. It’s there, but something is missing. However, if you take a seed and plant it into the ground, it isn’t just committed, it is invested, and with the right soil and the right water, life begins to sprout.
What would your marriage look like if you weren’t just committed to your spouse, but you were investing in your marriage? What would that business look like if you weren’t just committed enough to show up on time and leave as soon as the opportunity came? What would the church look like if you weren’t just committed to showing up, but you were investing into the atmosphere?
I’ll tell you what would happen. Your life would forever change and life would follow you everywhere you go, not just because you were there in body, but you were bringing something to the soil. Do you want bold action? Don’t just commit, invest! The soil all by itself produces, you just have to plant!
Blessings,
Ryan Rolls