Almost every week my eight-year-old daughter comes to me on two different occasions—once on Tuesday and once on Thursday. Sometimes she doesn’t even have to speak. I just know by her facial expression what she’s thinking. On Tuesdays she asks me if she has to go to dance class that day. Each time I give the same answer, “Yes, you made a commitment and you need to stick with it.”

Then on Thursdays we repeat the same scenario; this time with the book club she is involved in after school. And once I again I remind her how she needs to back up her verbal commitment with action. She needs to go and support her group.

You are probably wondering why she is in these activities if she never wants to go. The truth is I know she loves dancing and she loves her book club, but sometimes getting there is a challenge. Her week becomes overwhelming, and she just wants to relax.

In the throws of a very busy and challenging week last week, it happened again. At first, the suggestion sounded nice. This proposal would definitely eliminate some running around for me, but wait a second, I thought, we pay monthly fees for these activities. Finally realizing the pattern here, my answer was a firm “NO!”

I probably don’t have to explain that this sent my precious daughter into a downward spiral. Tears, shouting, and the slamming of doors could be heard across the city I’m sure. But after some calming down time for both of us, I talked to her about the importance of living out her commitment. I knew deep down she understood the right thing to do, but in an overwhelming moment of tiredness and frustration, she wanted to make a different choice.

In Luke, chapter 3, we are introduced to John the Baptist who had a similar message for the people of his day. His ministry was to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. He taught about repentance of sins and baptism by emersion. Many came to him to repent and be baptized, but he had a warning for them.

“John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. “ Luke 3:7-8

Some harsh words for this crowd, right? He was telling them that repenting for their sins were just words, and baptism was just an outward sign of repentance, unless they truly changed the way they lived their lives. He went so far as to call them a “brood of vipers.” Do you know what that means? It means they were a poisoned people, and continuing in their sinful ways made them poisonous to others. But by changing their way of life they would show their commitment to a new way of living. They would “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Slowly but surely my daughter is learning the importance of backing up her words with actions. She is learning that when she makes a commitment she needs to follow through. It’s a hard lesson to learn, as I’m sure it was for the crowd John that Baptist spoke to generations ago. The same holds true for us today when we accept Christ as our Savior, repent of our sins, and are baptized. By those acts we are saying that we are committed to a new way of life. We are committed to walking our talk. Difficult? You bet. Worth it? Absolutely.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19

Jerusalem  A twelve year old boy has been missing the past three days.  His parents, Mary and Joseph, were returning to Nazareth after celebrating the Passover and mistakenly believed Jesus was in their company.  It wasn’t until they traveled a day that they realized the child was not with any of their relatives.  They immediately returned to Jerusalem and have been searching for the boy, but he is no where to be found.

“I am wrought with guilt,” Mary reports.  “The angel told me this was the Son of God, and I’ve lost him.”

Family and authorities plan on continuing the search until Jesus is found.

I can’t imagine the anxiety, guilt and fear that plagued Mary and Joseph as they searched for Jesus.  Two full days passed looking high and low throughout Jerusalem to no avail.  Two days!   I lost my son in Kohl’s once for less than five minutes.  It took at least four hours for my heart to stop racing.

The hunt ended as Mary and Joseph entered the temple.  Jesus sat among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

“Son, why have you treated us like this?  Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

“Why were you searching for me?” he (Jesus) asked.  “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”  Luke 2:48, 49

Jesus wasn’t lost or absent.  People just looked for him in the wrong places.

Isn’t the same still true today?