The Four Commitments Every Relationship Needs
Dr. Robert Gorrell
Part of Family Matters
August 11, 2024

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them,
the more they went from me;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and offering incense to idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
I took them up in my arms,
but they did not know that I healed them.
I led them with cords of human kindness,
with bands of love.
I was to them like those
who lift infants to their cheeks.
I bent down to them and fed them. —Hosea 11:1-4

Introduction:

No family works without trust.

We have our family of origin, our nuclear family, our extended family, and our family of faith.

Week 1:

Trust is more than a feeling and more than knowing if someone will lie to you.
Trust begins with being understood and the ability to understand others’ perspectives.

Week 2: Character Matters

“Most of us have clearer strategies for how to achieve career success than we do for how to develop a profound character.” —David Brooks in The Road to Character

Without character traits of honesty, transparency, being the same person in public and private, and responsibility, we can’t have trust.

This Week: Commitment

A commitment is an act of faithfulness based on

.

It is a promise, but a promise based on

.

The core of commitment is

.

Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominions over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” —Genesis 1:26

The Hebrew word translated “dominion” is radah. It means to

, , and fruitfulness.

Every relationship is built on

, but not commitment in general.

Based on the powerful

described in the Book of Hosea, anyone can learn to have a better relationship.

The Four Key Commitments:

  1. Commit to recognize that no one is

    . (Hosea 1:2-9)

    “When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.’” —Hosea 1:2

  2. Commit to the power of

    . (Hosea 2:16-23)

    “On that day, says the Lord, you will call me “my husband,” and no longer will you call me “my Baal.” —Hosea 2:16

  3. Commit to say: “I’m

    ,” and “You’re .” *(Hosea 11:1-3) *

    “I have often repented of judging too severely but very seldom of being too merciful.” —John Wesley

  4. Commit to

    . (Hosea 14:4-7)

Action Step

Pick one of the four commitments, and start it

!

  1. Commit to recognize that no one is perfect.
  2. Commit to the power of affirmation.
  3. Commit to say: “I’m sorry,” and “You’re forgiven.”
  4. Commit to restoration.

My additional notes:

”.