What Should I Do Next?
“But why is it so hard to trust in Jesus?” asked a female student dressed in a dark gray T- shirt and ripped black jeans. A few people in the crowd nodded and murmured in agreement with her sincere question. “We discuss all these topics and have all these debates, but why is it still so hard to have faith? Is it just pride? Is it, like, the things of this world? What do you think is the Problem?”
Why is it so hard to commit to Christ?
That’s a question that I (Cliffe) can wholeheartedly relate to. As I admitted to that honest young woman, it’s hard for me to commit myself to Jesus Christ because, deep down, I want to be God. It doesn’t matter how extensively I know about the evidence for God’s existence and for the reliability of Jesus Christ. None of that changes the fact that I don’t like God making my choices for me. I want to make my own choices. But if I’ve committed my life to Christ, I can’t do that. These two things can’t coexist. So when I’ve got God telling me what to do, well, it can feel pretty off-putting. And I’m not alone in that feeling either. A lot of folks who reject Christ don’t do so solely because of intellectual objections or theological disagreement. The barrier that often holds them back from Christ is that don’t want to submit to God. They want to submit to themselves. They want, just like me, to live by the mantra, “I’m gonna do my life my own way.” It’s a problem that extends beyond the mind. It’s an issue of the will. It’s a dilemma of the heart. Demolishing doubt isn’t just about overcoming the intellectual arguments that hinder your faith. You need commitment to empower such knowledge to change your behavior and truly allow Jesus to transform your life. Otherwise, you are still dwelling in your doubts.
For the rest of this chapter, we’re going to examine what it means to commit ourselves to Jesus Christ. We’ll explore what this response looks like, what steps a person has to take to begin that relationship, and what sorts of hardships we might face in the process. We’ll also briefly explore some things we can do right here and now to grow stronger in our spiritual relationship with God. For some of you reading this, you may see this as a big leap of faith that you’re not sure you’re ready to take. Others of you may already be years down the road toward putting Christ in the center of your life, but perhaps you’re at a point in your life where you need some insight and clarity. Regardless of where you find yourself at this moment, we want to walk alongside you on that journey, no matter what obstacles you may be encountering along the way.
What Do You Mean by “Commitment to Christ”?
Commitment to Christ involves more than just thinking about your faith. Intellectual discussions, like the ones Stuart and I have with university students, are delightful opportunities to help people navigate their doubts or rethink their hyperskeptical approach to God. But such talks only scratch the surface when it comes to committing one’s life to Christ. Like any other healthy relationship, true commitment to Christ requires an intentional and personal response. It requires actively putting Christ in the center of our lives.
Faith without a personal commitment is a contradiction. You can’t claim to believe something but then act like you don’t believe it. When our belief in Christ does not come with a commitment, our lives call into question our beliefs. Either we’re not totally convinced or we’re just too complacent and cavalier to care. Both of these attitudes are tragedies. It’s not the way anyone should live their life. This should be no one’s approach to something as important as what they believe.
Now, you may be thinking, Hey, Cliffe, does putting Jesus Christ in the center of your life mean you’re supposed to be nearly perfect? No, definitely not. If it did, I would have totally missed the mark, and I’m not being harsh on myself either. Like all of you reading this, I have plenty of my own struggles. I can be selfish and stubborn. At times I lose my temper. I struggle to love people consistently and well. And don’t even get me started on the warped motives and ambitions that are underneath the surface (see Mark 7:20–23). As I’ve told countless students, if I were to put up a projector screen and broadcast all the thoughts I had during the day, well, I’d be way too embarrassed to show my face. I’m a dirty, rotten sinner. We all are. Sin is a universal human problem that we can’t escape on our own (see Romans 3:23), which is exactly why every one of us needs Jesus Christ. We need to commit our lives to him because we are so imperfect. Commitment to Christ doesn’t have perfection as a prerequisite. It requires dedication to change, not unblemished excellence. It requires persistence, not flawless execution. Putting Christ at the very center of your life will not magically make sin and selfishness cease to exist. Nor will it cause doubt to vanish into thin air. But it will change the way you try to live your life. It will make you rethink the priorities and allegiances you once thought were so important. It will cause you to question your behaviors, as well as the way you treat others. It will compel you to seek out new habits that fuel spiritual growth.
Don’t let an unrealistic notion of perfection keep you from committing yourself to Christ.
