The church I am a part of has been doing a 21-day fast for January.  There are a lot of good stories that have come out of this fast, some pretty incredible transformation.  But that's not what hit me this week.  I was hit by how much God cared about me fulfilling the commitments I make to him, and how easy it was for me to be casual about my commitments.

It came out when I was recalling a story I heard earlier that week about someone who compromised their fast with the though, "God understands."  As it came out I actually started to cry.  I could feel the sadness that God had in his heart regarding that attitude.  I remember saying, "He loves us so much.  How can we say that our commitments to God don't matter, just because he understands?" 

I had stopped praying during the fast, and God was showing me that within my own heart the fast had become religious.  That was why it was so easy for me to write off my commitment.

I have returned to prayer and have been asking for God's grace to be my strength and to humble me to live in light of how much he has shown his love for us.  And to live this beyond the fast.

Lately, when I am tempted to compromise my commitment to God, a certain song continues to come to mind: "How Deep the Father's Love for Us."