To Make a Connection, Make a Commitment

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? Our Gift: God's Answers To Life's Difficult Questions Rick Warren takes you to the Bible for answers to 12 of life's toughest questions. Drawing from the examples of different biblical characters who faced the same issues, Warren offers concise, practical insights you can understand and apply in order to move past hardships and experience a life of purpose and significance. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Essentials For Living teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Living By Grace Message 2: ​​​How To Connect With People Message 3: ​​Using The Bible To Make Decisions Message 4: ​​How To Invest Your Life Message 5: How To Tell God You Love Him PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe