It takes passion and commitment to move a cause forward. Others have to vividly see this in you or they simply will not believe you and follow your persuasion.

We often go about our mission in life on autopilot.  We approach even vitally important matters with half-heartedness especially when it takes years to see it through to completion. 

In what do you believe?  How committed are you to your cause?  Will your present level of commitment be enough? These are important questions to ask yourself.

The story of Charles Peace

“Sir, I do not share your faith.  But if I did – if I believed what you say you believed – then although England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would crawl the length and breadth of it on hand and knee and think the pain worthwhile, just to save a single soul from this eternal hell of which you speak.” ~Charles Peace

Charles Peace was a career criminal in England in the 1800s.  He committed numerous burglaries and was ultimately convicted and hanged for murdering a man.  Charles made the statement above to a reverend that visited him prior to his execution.  It was the reverend’s job to give Peace the opportunity to confess his crimes and save his soul prior to his execution.

Apparently, the reverend provided this type of service for the prison regularly.  It might have become somewhat routine to him.  Apparently, this was obvious to Charles Peace.  The reverend’s passion and commitment to his faith obviously did not shine through to Charles.  He was not convincing.

Passion and commitment are essential in any cause.

We cannot persuade others and get them behind us in our cause, no matter what it is, if we lack passion and commitment!  We must demonstrate our commitment to everyone around us.  They have to see it in our actions and hear it in our voice.  It isn’t so much the words you say as it is the way you say it.  You don’t have to be an eloquent speaker to persuade people, but you do have to be able to convey your passion to them.  They have to feel it. 

Charles Peace did not feel the reverend’s passion and therefore he was not convinced.  Maybe this is why others aren’t jumping on the bandwagon of your cause.  Maybe they don’t feel your passion.  Have you lost the fever?

We must be willing to go the distance and give it all.

Obstacles will always arise to block us from attaining our goals.  However, if we are truly committed, then we will not be deterred.  Notice that Charles says if he believed, he would crawl the length and breadth of England across broken glass to convince others.  In other words, he wouldn’t hold anything back.  The pain would be worth it.  He would go the distance and do whatever it took to meet the demands of his cause.

Are you giving it your all?  A good cause will demand sacrifice.  There will always be a struggle to accomplish anything worthwhile.  Pain is a part of the game.  What are you willing to give?

Time to reevaluate our level of commitment.

I imagine the reverend reflected heavily on Charles Peace’s statement to him.  In fact, I think it probably haunted him.  Was he truly committed and passionate about his faith?  This was a question he had to wrestle with.  The reverend had dedicated his life to his cause, but had the flame burned out?

It often takes something like the reverend’s encounter with Charles Peace to rock us out of our sleepwalk.  Where are you at in your level of commitment to your cause? 

Would you crawl across broken glass?

Photo by Duke LeNoir