Commitment To A Cause

During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington was leading his army toward Boston. At that time it was under the control of the British. He was well aware of the fact that he could not recapture and gain control of the city without destroying most of the houses and shops. Facing this difficult, if not impossible, decision to make on his own, he asked Congress for their advice.

After his letter was read aloud to the members of congress, there was a long silence as the decision was being considered. Finally, John Hancock said, “Nearly all of the property I have in the world is in Boston. But if the liberties of our country require their being burned to ashes, give the command immediately.” He recognized the difference between worldly possessions and what Washington was fighting for.

As Christians we have dual citizenships. Our citizenship in our nation requires that we submit to its rules and regulations, pay taxes and show respect to our leaders. Our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven requires that we pledge to God our obedience and commitment. Jesus made this clear when He was questioned about the issue of paying taxes to Caesar. He said “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

There is a distinction between the two citizenships. Jesus made this distinction obvious: He stated that loyalty to God does not necessarily mean that we are to be disloyal to our governing authorities. But He made it abundantly clear that if a choice has to be made, the Kingdom of Heaven has priority.

As Christians, our obedience and commitment, first and foremost, is to God. What we treasure reveals our priorities.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to commit ourselves to seek Your Kingdom more than anything else in life and to be willing to make any sacrifice to put You first. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Matthew 22:15-22 Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”