We all get lazy in our daily spiritual walk. Are you looking for a challenge as you work towards a deeper relationship with God? Take a look at an ancient practice – The Vow. A vow is a promise made to God. Though the practice of vow-making was common in Biblical times and throughout church history until the Reformation, most modern Christians are totally unfamiliar with the concept. Author and pastor Ed Gungor first encountered vow-making while casually reading the book of Acts. Upon further study, he began to realize that, not only is this ancient practice still relevant today, it is an invaluable means for producing authentic transformation in the life of the believer.
The act of making a vow to God is a way of showing generosity to Him, of loving Him more. Vows are evidence in the church of a desire to follow Jesus without reservation. They are choices that transcend ordinary faith—pre-decisions that symbolize the direction that will center one’s entire life. And they open the door to divine adventure. “As I have wandered down this path—so very familiar to the ancients who have gone before us, but virtually unknown to us moderns—it has been both intriguing and empowering, and, on another level, just plain dangerous,” Ed reflects. “But I think it’s leading somewhere.”
In our post-modern world, the traditional vehicles of Christian influence—big church buildings, political power, a Leave It to Beaver culture—are passing away. Though many Christians have every intention of sacrificially serving the Lord, they often lack the focus to follow through. In the current culture dominated by spiritual skepticism and distrust, intentions mean little without the actions to demonstrate them. “Vows give us conviction about the kind of life we are to live, clarity about our role in the world and a sense of corporate mission and ministry,” Ed says. “There is critical and prophetic power in them. We are not just believing differently; vows cause us to do and live differently.”
On today’s “Calling For Truth” Radio Program we will speak with Athor Ed Gungor about his study re: the relevance of the vow in our modern Christianity.
To listen to the program, click on the words “Read more”
