One time I met with a prayer group and the leader gave us an acronym for F.A.I.T.H. It was “Forsaking All, I Take Him.”

He meant that commitment to God means that allegiance to other gods will have to be forsaken. Synonyms for “forsake” are: to abandon, desert, turn one’s back on, break up with and renounce. It means with God, it’s all or nothing!

We know the word “commitment” as athletes. Coaches talk about being committed to a process, being committed to one another on the team, committing yourself to get better. But, the word often rings hollow when we think about how easy it is to walk away from a school we committed to, when the same coach who was talking commitment takes the higher paying job three months before the season starts. We need to revisit the biblical understanding of the word "commitment."

If we are non-committed, we don’t need to forsake anything. When you committed to one school, you deserted your other options. It makes sense why people are scared of commitment!

There is a false belief about commitment floating around. It’s this: When we commit, we forfeit freedom. But, as pastor Scott Vermillion said, “Options don’t guarantee freedom." In fact, options can be paralyzing. They are the opposite of freedom.

When I am picking out toothpaste and see twenty options with obscure variations I do not feel free.

I panic for fifteen minutes trying to decide if I want whitening or tartar protection or baking soda or fluoride. I would not be torn if I only had one option.

Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” Dividedness and duplicity complicates our lives and can make us miserable. To will one thing is freedom.

Think of Jesus who had His options narrowed down -- He was nailed to a cross. Jesus was free to call legions of angels to get Him down. But, He stuck to His commitment. Look at the result!

Making and keeping commitments is the best way to live. Unless our commitments are to bad things, in which case it’s good to break commitments.

It’s hard to be faithful to God because we can’t forsake bad things once and for all at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. We need to turn our backs on things daily and hourly.

As Christian hip-hop artist Andy Mineo put it, "It's an everyday thing." This is what it means to be an apprentice and student of Jesus.

Athlete, on what things are you divided where you shouldn’t be? Jot two things down. In what areas are you steadfast and committed? Jot two things down.

It’s never too late to commit to good things and decommit to bad things.

Look at what David and Paul did. They messed up majorly. No matter what you’ve done you are no worse a sinner than the greatest saints in history.

Forsaking all, I take Him. Commit.

Lord, renew a steadfast spirit within me.