No Pleasure In Fools

Which is better, an uncommitted person or a half-committed person? I believe that the uncommitted is better because a half-committed person is infectious.

Let’s say that you have a team of twenty-five persons that have committed themselves to a cause. Initially, everyone is on board with the mission and purpose of the cause. They diligently seek God’s guidance and favor through their prayers. They attend the meetings faithfully to ensure that nothing gets left undone as well as to draw closer to one another as each goes through the challenges of life that has refocused around this new commitment. Each one shares their monetary resources to the cause so that it is funded well enough to be effective in its purpose and not an embarrassing half-baked attempt. As the numerous opportunities of actual work comes into play no one shy’s away from seeing that all the needs are met. Each person that has a talent uses it to ensure that nothing is left undone.

Because all twenty-five persons are working together with one purpose and one cause, other people on the outside begin take notice at what is happening with this committed team. Before you know it, the outsiders catch the vision of the original committed folks and connect with them and their team eventually doubles to fifty!

As time goes on, the committed have a great impact on their community by advancing their cause. Lives are changed and great buildings are built based on the principles and mission of the original team of committed folks. All is going great until one day.

One of the committed team members becomes less committed because they figure there are so many now that they don’t have to work as hard and do all the things that they used to do. After all, they have worked so hard to see that the vision and mission of the team was attended to that now they need some much deserved rest.

They begin their rest and start to enjoy their hobby of fishing, sewing, etc. more and more. They are able to spend more time with their friends and families (after all, families are important). Eventually they find that they even have more time to put into their jobs and careers.

Initially, the cause is not affected very much by this team member’s lessened commitment. All seems to be going well until another team member happens to notice what is going on.

The totally committed witness the half-committed and figure that if these that claim the name of the original committed team can get by with the minimal amount of prayer, attendance, giving, and service then they wonder why they have to work at it so hard. The once committed find that they now have company. The other committed team member joins them at their leisure and the two even begin to have social events, family gatherings together to celebrate their new found enjoyment of things outside the teams hard working disciplined structure.

A ripple rocks the team. It starts out small but then another one hits again. Many other committed team members notice the two having what seems like so much enjoyment outside the team. With all the ripples that are hitting, they too figure they can join in the half-committed. One by one the totally committed convert to the half-committed until one day the majority of the team becomes sickly, weak and anemic.

What used to be accomplished with little effort now drains what is left of the committed to the point of despair. The totally committed begin to reason that the team must be destined for failure and they throw their hands in the air saying “What’s the use?” and many more join the ranks of the half-committed.

Meanwhile visitors still continue to come to see what is going on because they have heard so much in the past about this committed team. Instead of witnessing a team that is committed to their cause, they instead see internal struggle, catastrophes and casualties stacking up to the ceiling and they determine that they want no part with this team’s mission and priorities. After all, who wants to come aboard a sinking ship? Eventually, word gets out and the visitors quit coming. The team looses its passion and focus and becomes distracted until one day a new leader comes along.

The new leader challenges the team and they figure that they can do it again. Many of the half-committed slowly become totally committed and one by one their ranks increase in great number. A shadow of the original committed team begins to emerge and great things begin to happen again. New visitors come along and see what is going on and sure enough some even join the ranks of the ever increasing committed team.