Commitment: Is It About to Become Extinct?

Recently Captain Francesco Schettino came under a barrage of criticism for abandoning his sinking cruise ship off the coast of the Tuscan island of Giglio in the Mediterranean.

When we heard about the shipwreck of the Costa Concordia in January, many of us probably thought of the famous movie Titanic and its stalwart captain. We never got the impression that he had one single thought of abandoning his ship and saving himself.

We cherish and hold sacred the notion that a captain would never abandon his passengers and ship, but there are many other “ships” that people today give up on with reckless abandon—with no thought of commitment.

I couldn’t help but wonder what went through the mind of Captain Schettino. Were his thoughts similar at all to the thoughts we might have?

Disposable commitments

Our current world seems to be drowning in disposable commitments, whether to a mate, parents, siblings, friends, job, country, belief systems, etc. When we are challenged, inconvenienced, offended, see a better opportunity or think these things are happening to us, we can easily have thoughts of giving up and abandoning our ship, whatever it is.

As I drove to work recently, I heard the song “White Flag” by Dido. It is not only a beautiful song, but the words seem to speak to this and similar situations. As I heard the words “I will go down with this ship,” the word commitment rang in my head. The song also talks about not surrendering or putting up a white flag.

None of us like it when others do not follow through on a commitment. Their lack of commitment requires others to pick up the slack. So how do we turn this trend around?

What does the Bible say about commitment?

The Bible shows God’s commitment and how He wants us to handle commitments.

• Our Father is the perfect role model for us. Hebrews 13:5 tells us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” What more can we hope for?
• “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:62). These words condemn today’s disposable attitudes.
• Matthew 5:37 warns us to consider our commitments and follow through with them. If I say, “Yes, I will,” then I need to follow through.

If something comes up that causes me to reconsider, I need to check my motivation for changing my mind. Am I being selfish? What impact will this have on others? Is this a legitimate reason for backing out on my commitment? If so, I need to let the person in charge know so he or she can understand and not be left to speculate that I just bailed out on him or her.

So the next time I am asked to make a commitment, I should ask myself if I am really ready to follow through.

Teaching commitment to our children

As parents, we need to set the standard high and meet our commitments in order to set a right example for our children. This will make it easier for us to require our children to follow through on their commitments.

As a teacher, I find that there seem to be more parents today who do not require commitment from their children or themselves.

Recently I had a conversation with Liz, a friend, who felt a little chagrined over forcing her young son to follow through with a commitment he had made to his team. But it seems her son’s commitment paid off. As it turned out, her son’s team was pleasantly surprised to achieve a first-place finish.

Things do not always turn out this way, but as parents we must consider the long-term results of our actions. We are responsible for teaching our children how to live godly lives: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

When I am tempted to give in, is it because it is convenient for me? Taking the “easy” way out has long-term effects.

Examining my commitments

Commitment is a must for Christians. As I examine myself before the New Testament Passover, my commitments should be on my checklist. Commitment is vitally important—affecting our Christian character, our children’s character and ultimately the character of our church, community and world.

It seems Captain Schettino was scrambling for excuses after abandoning his ship. Will I find myself scrambling for excuses on judgment day?

Susan Scott Smith has been a teacher for more than 20 years and is a member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in Texas.

For more about commitment, see:

• Baptism, Commitment and Recommitment
• Leading Our Children Toward a Commitment to God
• What Does the Bible Teach About Divorce and Remarriage?