Today is a celebration of commitment. A commitment that could never be described as halfhearted. For 237 years ago today, fifty-six men, all of whom had much to lose, committed themselves wholeheartedly to a cause that they believed in with every fiber of their being. The whole world has since benefited from their commitment to that cause.
The closing words of this Declaration of Independence are this:
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
They meant that, and it cost them. Some died during the war, others lost sons. A number had their houses ransacked and even destroyed. Wealth and businesses were seized, family members were threatened, persecuted, and some captured and held prisoner. All-in-all, the signers of this document put their lives, livelihood, wealth and reputations on the line, for the sake of this cause, and they suffered dearly for it. Few died in a better place, personally, than they were before signing on to the Revolution. But every one of us, both in America and abroad, have been enriched in multiple ways because of their commitment.
I am first a citizen of heaven and a member of the Body of Christ. But I am also grateful for the blessing of living in a country that was merely an experiment in law and freedom when it was first established. This experiment would have never flown but for the commitment on the part of those fifty-six men that we celebrate every year on this day. Because of their commitment, we enjoy freedom.
What are you committed to? Nothing good comes without it. What matters so much to you that you are willing to make major sacrifice in your personal life in order to make it fly? You are committed to something. To what?
Then remember these opening words. A halfhearted commitment is not a commitment at all. How committed are you?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment