Something I’ve noticed in my generation is a lack of commitment.
Commitment to a career, a place to live, relationships, etc.
As far as why, I would say it’s a combination two things:
1. Being aware of every single one of life’s possibilities thanks to social media.
2. The fear of regret.
Many in my generation grew up in homes of regret.
Divorced parents working jobs they hate in a town they can’t escape.
No wonder mid & quarter-life crises happen.
I deal with these issues myself.
At the same time though, I recognize the need for commitment.
We all make a deep and wide impact with our lives.
The wide impact we make is our reputation.
Your public role. The business you run. The content you publish.
The deep impact you make are the things you’re doing behind the scenes.
Your closest relationships with family, friends, mentors, and mentees.
It’s the beautiful things you do with your life that most will never know about until your funeral, if even then.
Wide impact feels good while we’re alive but can only go so far.
Deep impact lasts, even if we’re forgotten about.
If we want to make a deep, lasting impact with our lives, it takes “long obedience in the same direction”. (Eugene Peterson).
That’s why I admire people like my friend Pastor Adam Drollinger.
This man has served at Breakaway as a counselor for 23 years, working at least one week of camp every summer.
If I had grown up in Illinois, he could have been my Breakaway Counselor every year since I was seven.
So imagine all kids who are now adults that he’s had the chance to pour into.
Yes it’s only for a week at a time, but a lot can happen in these 5 days.
And since he keeps showing up year after year, the influence compounds.
The conversations go deeper.
The mentoring relationship he has all these young men grows.
His influence goes deeper than we could imagine.
And how does this all happen?
By choosing to commit to something bigger than ourselves.
Walking with God into something you know He’s sending you to do.
“Long obedience in the same direction.”
Through the role of a counselor, Pastor Adam is showing a commitment to the next generation.
This allows him to make a deep impact with his life.
An impact that will last for generations after he’s long gone.
And through the things God has stewarded to me such as being ISM’s Online Pastor, I aspire to do the same thing.
So my prayer for myself and you is this: God, make us like Pastor Adam.
Help us to commit to the things that last.