To Make a Connection, Make a Commitment

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CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Essentials For Living

To Make a Connection, Make a Commitment By Rick Warren — Aug 18, 2015 “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 ESV) Good relationships don’t happen by accident. They take cultivation, work, and a lot of time. That requires commitment! I cannot count the number of times that my wife Kay and I have felt like walking out of our marriage, particularly in the early years. There were so many times we thought, “This is not worth it. We’re so different. This marriage could never work.” But we didn’t walk out. Why? Because we’d made a commitment. We took a vow — “Till death do us part” — not just to each other but also to God. So we said, “We’re going to keep this commitment even if it kills us.” And it nearly did! There have been times in our marriage that the only thing that kept us together was that commitment — not love or interest but simply the commitment we made to God. I am so glad that we did not give up. Today, my wife is my best friend, and I cannot imagine my life without her. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (ESV). Did you know that your socializing can keep you from having deep relationships? You can be so busy networking, contacting, socializing, and making acquaintances that you never give the time and energy and effort it takes to cultivate the deep, satisfying intimacy of a good friend or a good wife or a good husband. It’s not wrong to have a lot of acquaintances, but they can keep you so busy that you don’t develop any vital, close relationships. You don’t need a lot of friends to make it in this world, but you do need a few good ones. You need to focus on quality, not quantity. Your acquaintances — your hundreds of Facebook “friends” and Instagram followers — aren’t necessarily going to be there when you need them. But the friends you are truly connected and committed to will. Every important, close connection begins with a commitment. If you want to get beyond shallow, superficial relationships, you’ve got to be willing to stick with it. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over Who are you committed to? And who knows it? How does your social networking keep you from making deep connections with your friends and spouse? What is a practical step you can take to move a relationship forward and deeper?

	To pray successfully, we must pray with conviction. --Philippians 4:6
	What does it mean to pray with conviction? In Nehemiah 1:5-6, Nehemiah prays, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant….” In these verses, Nehemiah is praying with conviction because he knows that his God is in control. When it seemed like everything was out of control in Jerusalem, Nehemiah knew that God was still on His throne. Nehemiah knew that the Lord would answer his prayer because He was a great and awesome God. Because He was a wonderful God. Because He was a faithful God. Because He was a God who could meet all of Nehemiah’s needs! And in just the same way, God can handle any problem in your life. Do you believe that today? God is bigger… God is greater… than any situation or crisis in your life. And the first thing Nehemiah did is the first thing that you ought to do when you have a problem, a crisis, or a need: You need to turn it over to God. You need to give it to God, not as your last chance, but as your first choice! When you know that God is above all and that He has everything under control… and when you know that your place is surrendered under the lordship of Christ, then you can find your place and know your prayers will be answered! Trust God to handle any problem in your life. ​PS ​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUazxNOiPYs