It’s a mark of integrity to follow through on the commitments we’ve made. And certainly it’s better to refrain from even making a promise when we’re uncertain about seeing it through to the end. All the same, not all our commitments are created equally. And we might have to rethink certain commitments when they come into conflict with higher order ones.
For instance, we might commit to a home repair or certain chores around the house. But we would rightly set these commitments aside to hang out with an old friend we’ve not seen in years, as relational commitments trump chores. But connecting with a friend would be postponed if our wife or kid had an urgent need, as we have a special duty to our family that takes priority over our other relational commitments.
To be sure, marriage is a covenant intended for life – taking priority even over our kids. But even this relationship must take a backseat to our commitment to God. And perhaps this is one of the harder dynamics to rethink our commitments.
On the one hand, we want to do whatever is necessary to sustain our marriage and live in harmony with each other. And we should be willing to do everything, expect compromise our faith and commitment to God.
It’s a beautiful thing when we’re able to keep the peace in our marriage while remaining fully committed and loyal to God. But if we’re forced to choose then we must rethink our commitment even to our wife to honor our ultimate allegiance to God.
And, of course, this would apply to social, organizational, or political commitments as well.
In the end, be a man of integrity and honor your commitments. But have the courage to rethink any of these when they tempt you to compromise your primary allegiance to God himself.
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