One of the greatest barriers to commitment is a fear of missing out.
I embodied this fear first hand this past week on a short vacation. My endeavor to maximize opportunities turned the conclusion into an assembly line the likes of which Henry Ford might have admired for no wasted steps.
Freedom is, and has been, the cry of human existence and thus any obstacles to it have been railed against. We see life as abundantly ripe with opportunities and thus fear surrender to any 'limiting' ideology or faith. But what if we have been misled? What if said submission affords more freedom than non-commitment?
With that we turn to the scripture below:
“They promise these newcomers freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for if they’re addicted to corruption—and they are—they’re enslaved.”
Peter paints a picture of 'they', or the 'in crowd', luring us in with the promise of freedom should we commit to their mode of life. But what we have all learned experientially is the fallacy of that claim. For a lifestyle centered on our capricious desires is remarkably unfulfilling and leads to only greater and greater wants.
Thus we must prevent ourselves from being led astray by their empty but succulent claims. Intentionality and commitment have and always will be the hallmarks of a satisfied life.
Consider what worth doing in your life has been free of commitment? Absent fleeting moments of luck and chance, the accomplishments we celebrate in life all require supreme commitment: graduation, relationships, children, and a career. In the zero-sum game of life, to invest in one thing requires others be neglected. We must shed the negative connotation associated with committing, be it in the affirmative or negative.
So what have you been sitting on for fear of missing something else? I encourage you to actively choose 'yes' or 'no' this week and free yourself from self-imposed purgatory. Don't allow indecision to exercise its destructive effects on you and those closest to you. Steal it's power and fully live after that which you know is right.
-the contrary disciple