Lifelong Commitments

One's future is affected by many things; decisions, consequences of decisions, and commitments to decisions. When asked to define how my future is affected according to my commitments, it took a great deal of thought to first decide how I viewed commitments. Webster defines commitment as "an agreement or pledge to do something in the future". With definition in mind, it is easy to see how commitments affect our future - they essentially create our future by defining its obligations.

Upon this discovery, I pondered commitments I have made up to this point in my life and how each commitment affected me. I thought about everything from small commitments such as promising my mother that I would call when I was going to be late, to huge commitments such as committing to myself and to God that I would abstain from sexual relations until I was married. The more I thought, the more I realized that each of my commitments fell into one of four categories: a commitment to search for the Truth, a commitment to my family, a commitment to continually educate myself, and a commitment to serve others.

The first category, a commitment to search for the Truth, is, in my opinion, perhaps the most important commitment that a person can make. My commitment to such a search leads me to find the indisputable absolute in each situation. Although at present we are constantly told that the world no longer stands for absolutes, I am here to tell the world that they are wrong. Murder is still murder, Justice is always Justice, Love never ceases to be Love, Honor continues to be Honorable, and the Truth is the Truth, no matter the setting. Having made a commitment to searching for these absolutes throughout my life, my future is sure to be...

... middle of paper ...

...ly the most difficult to fulfill. It was due to this commitment that I spent a year in India working in orphanages and leper colonies, decided to become a high school teacher, and am willing to move with my husband wherever we feel we can be used the most. As you can see, this commitment can be taxing on your future, but I believe that the benefits are beyond comparison. If we all felt a duty to serve one another, then it only stands to reason that all would be served!

I think a commitment is like a suntan - sometimes it's painful, sometimes it looks lovely on you, but either way, it will be with you for a while! I pride myself in making well thought-out commitments that best represent who I am as a person. Since each commitment shapes my future, I strive to keep my future in shape by committing to worthwhile causes such as knowledge, people, and the Truth.