“For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike.”
Romans 1:14 (NLT)
Paul desired to visit the believers in Rome, do God’s work among them, and see spiritual fruit as they worked together. He carried a great sense of obligation to share the Gospel with Jews and Greeks, to the civilized and the barbarian, to the educated and uneducated. “Woe to me if I don’t preach the good news,” Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16. This was more than duty. It was a yearning, a fire, a driving force to proclaim Jesus to all people.
We clearly understand obligations in the roles we accept on earth. A husband, wife, mom, dad, manager, son, daughter, brother, or sister is expected to fulfill the obligations of that identity. Ignoring those obligations brings consequences. If we fail to send our children to school, we may go to jail. If we neglect our obligations in marriage, we may face divorce. If we fail to fulfill our obligations at work, we may lose our job.
Yet because of God’s great love, grace, and forgiveness, we often forsake the obligations that come with being a believer, a Christian, or a follower of Jesus. We treat sharing the good news, acting like we have good news, and following Jesus’ instructions as optional. We fulfill them only when it becomes convenient. But God’s grace isn’t offered to promote laziness.
Today, I pray that I would have the passion of Paul. Instead of saying, “Woe is me for fulfilling my obligations as a follower of Jesus,” I want to live like, “Woe is me if I don’t fulfill them.” I want to proclaim Jesus in gratitude for my salvation, share with others the love I have received from God, forgive as he has forgiven me, spend time with Jesus, teach my children about him, and let my identity in Christ shape my actions, words, and thoughts. May we embrace our obligations as followers of Jesus Christ again.