People hook up all the time for dates and even sex but where does commitment come in? Is this all there is to it? You get a date here and there and you think that if you manage to "score" you are lucky. But what are you really looking for? Is it a commitment? Are you a committed person? If not, can you learn to be committed?

What is a commitment anyway? It is defined in the dictionary as - devotion or dedication, for example, to a cause, person or relationship. I happen to think that you must be living a lifestyle of commitment in order to commit to a relationship with another person. I dont mean commitment to your job or sports, the latest fashions or anything like that. I mean a lifestyle of commitment to God.

Being in relationship with the Lord is the ultimate commitment. It is a relationship where you will learn the most about sacrifice, giving, truth and what it is to commit. This is where real love begins. What does this have to do with dating and your life? It is your relationship with the Lord, the tools and lessons you take away from this union that prepare you for other relationships, including love relationships.

Benefit of commitment to the Lord

When you are in a relationship with the Lord you are the one who goes through a process of growth, healing, and strengthening. This all happens through the revelation of His commitment to you and the love He has for you. You will learn His ways and the things that are valuable to Him. And you will ultimately find that you are the most valuable thing to Him. His sacrifice to make the relationship possible is the ultimate expression of love. This will teach you to value yourself and others. You will learn that He can be trusted and thus learn to be one who can be trusted.

Commitment is a culmination of all of these things. If you dont know how to enter a relationship with the Lord it goes like this. All your life you have heard that Jesus loves you and that He died for your sin. These things are true. You will find them in detail in the book of John and other places in the bible. What you need to do is confess that you are a sinner and that you need His salvation, which is freely given and, the relationship begins. Its that easy.

As you begin to mature in the relationship you will notice small changes in the way you think. This happens as you read the Word of God (the bible). As your thinking begins to change your actions and attitudes will also begin to change. You will take on His ways. You will begin to understand what real love means and that it is more action than feeling. Love means that you are committed. You wont run away or give up. You stick to your commitment. So sacrifice plays a part.

Prepared for earthly commitment

Soon you will have a firm grasp on what it means to be committed. This will enable you to become more committed in other areas of your life. Your relationships on the job, school, and ultimately your love relationship will grow. Your relationship with the Lord brings a change to your life that will affect every other area. You are now prepared to meet the challenge of being committed in every area where you need to be.

Commitment is not easy but then most things worth having are not that easy to achieve. Don't be afraid when your relationships face hard times. Better times will come if you stay committed.