Thursday, February 11, 2016

Restoring The Balance Volume II- The Spiritual Ironman® Blog


To be balanced is to have an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady. Without balance, it is impossible to stay steady, and as men, our goal in life should be to remain upright and steady in all aspects of our behavior. I want to deal with two critical areas in the lives of men that are significantly out of balance. Those areas are commitment and passion.

First, we need to restore the balance in the area of our commitment. Before I proceed, let's define commitment.  Simply said commitment is a promise to do or give something.  It is a promise to be loyal to someone or something, and it is the attitude of someone who works very hard to do or support something. Based on the definition of the word, I can see why so many have a phobia to commit.

I came across this quote, I do not know who wrote it, but the source I got it from was iliketoquote.com: "Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you." What an insightful and profound statement.  How many times have I made commitments when I was feeling inspired and was emotionally charged only to later re-think what I committed to? When I was no longer excited or inspired by the moment, I had a different perspective.  Don't worry; it happens to the best of us.  However, a man of integrity will keep that commitment regardless of his mood, or emotional condition, and this is what makes you an upright and steady man.

We live in a time where commitment is sadly lacking. Fear to commit to anything seems to be running rampant, and men appear to be at the head of the epidemic. I question why so many men are fearful of commitment; perhaps it is because they do not know how to commit, or they have been hurt by past commitments. Whatever the reason, learn to overcome the fear of commitment and begin to engage. Only then can a man become who God has called him to "BE." Only then can a man become someone who restores the balance.

Here are some areas to work on relating to commitment:

-       Let us commit to spending more time with God by praying more and reading the Bible daily.

-       Let us commit to being true to our word.  If we say we are going to do something, do it! Stop making excuses. My father in the gospel the late Bishop Joseph always said: "Every excuse is a lie."

-       Let us commit to being better managers of our finances by becoming better stewards and seeking help when needed.

-       Let us commit to being better husbands, fathers, and sons.

-       Let us commit to living by Biblical values and doing the right thing, even if the right thing does not benefit us.

-       Let us commit to helping other men to become committed.  Remember, "Iron sharpens Iron."

Finally, let me close this blog by quoting what Abraham Lincoln said about commitment:

"Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality."


Be Blessed!

Your Iron Coach,
Bishop Roberto Jemmott