Student Leadership 401: 360 LeadershipSample

Day Two: Commitment

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” — Michael Jordan

If anyone knows about commitment, it’s the great Michael Jordan. He put his all into the game of basketball, showing his commitment to the game on and off the court. This ranged from things like choosing practicing over partying, to playing a big game while suffering from food poisoning, to working out for three hours every day. He dedicated himself to the game in a way that most players wouldn’t, and as a result, he was able to do what other players couldn’t. His level of commitment is one of the reasons he’s known as one of the greatest and most influential players of all time.

Mary Magdalene might not have been a basketball star, and she definitely didn’t get the same amount of screen time as the 12 disciples, but if anyone could relate to Michael Jordan’s level of commitment, it was Mary Magdalene.

Though she is only mentioned in the Bible a few times, those brief moments tell us so much about the kind of person Mary Magdalene was.

According to the book of Luke, Mary Magdalene was one of the women who followed Jesus and “were helping to support them [Jesus and His followers] out of their own means.” In other words, she believed in Jesus’ ministry so much, she committed her own money and time to help Him. And we know when Jesus was dying, Mary Magdalene was one of the few to follow Him to the foot of the cross. While all the other disciples and followers fled, Mary Magdalene stayed. When Jesus’ body was buried, Mary Magdalene made a point to see where He was buried, and on the third day after Jesus’ death, Mary Magdalene got up early in the morning to walk to the tomb to make sure Jesus still received the burial rites He deserved.

As far as everyone knew, Jesus was dead, and that was the end of the story. In a sense, it was like the game was over and it looked like it had been lost… but Mary Magdalene was committed to serving her Lord, even in circumstances that seemed hopeless.

One of the reasons both Michael Jordan and Mary Magdalene were positioned to experience greatness was simply because they chose to show up when others walked away. Jordan continued to play his heart out even when the game seemed over and Mary continued to serve even when hope seemed lost.

What do you need to commit to right now? It doesn’t have to be something big like a college or career. Maybe it’s memorizing one Bible verse a month, or spending time in prayer as soon as you wake up in the morning. Maybe it’s committing to show up and lead in your school or take charge of your health. Where can you choose to do what others won’t so you can eventually do what others can’t?