Never Say 'Never'

// Lynette Hagin

I’ve learned that we must never let the words “I’ll never do that” come out of our mouths.
“I’ll never go back to my hometown.”
“I’ll never be a missionary.”
“I’ll never marry a minister.”
Somehow it seems that our “nevers” often become the very thing God calls us to do!

When I was a college student, I was a member of a singing group that traveled a lot. I told my roommate, “I will never marry an evangelist because I hate to travel.”

Guess what my husband’s occupation was when we married? An evangelist! I learned the hard way what it means to “eat your ‘nevers.’ ”

What If Jesus Had Said, ‘Never’?
What would have happened if Jesus had said, “Never!” when God asked Him to die on the cross? He could have told the Father, “This is too difficult. I can’t do it.” What would have happened to us if Jesus had not been willing to sacrifice His life?

Making that kind of commitment had to be difficult for Jesus. The Bible records that He said, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matt. 26:39). If Jesus found it hard to submit to God’s plan, it’s no wonder we have difficulty. Following God’s plan for our lives is not always easy. It takes surrender and a heartfelt determination to follow after God.

But what did Jesus say next? “ ‘Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will’ ” (v. 39 NKJV). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continually prayed that the will of the Father would be accomplished on this earth. That needs to be our prayer too, because our flesh wars against God’s will. We have to remind ourselves to stay committed to His will.

The Altar Is a Sacred Place
I remember as a child how we gathered around the altar to seek the Lord. We often sang “I Surrender All.” The first line of that old hymn says, “All to Jesus, I surrender; All to Him I freely give.” We were encouraged not only to bring our requests to the altar but also to commit our wills to the Lord.

The altar is a place of consecration, dedication, and commitment. In today’s world, commitment is a word we rarely use. It seems that people don’t want to commit to anything. In some cases, I’ve even heard people call commitment bondage!

The word commit means “to give over.” It conveys the idea of entrusting, obligating, and binding. I like a definition I found in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary—“to put into a place for safekeeping.” We are to commit our body, soul, and spirit to the Lord for safekeeping. Really, commitment is saying, “I’m committed to God regardless of the cost.”

In the Book of Daniel, the three Hebrew children refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. When the king threatened them with being thrown into a fiery furnace, they replied, “ ‘Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us. . . . But if not, let it be know to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up’ ” (Dan. 3:17–18 NKJV).

Some people call that a statement of unbelief, but I believe it was a statement of their commitment to the Lord. They knew He could deliver them, but their commitment was, “Even if He doesn’t, we’re not going to bow down to other gods.” And that has to be our commitment today.

Commit Your Way to the Lord
Throughout our lives, we’ll face many crossroads. We’ll have opportunities to follow our own desires or the will of the Father. Will we trust the Lord? Or will we “lean to our own understanding” (Prov. 3:5–6)?

When temptations, distresses, and obstacles come, let’s stay committed to the Lord. If we do, our lives will be a great success for Him!