the next best thing...

I have always had a problem with commitment.

And the thing was, it was any kind of commitment, not things that actually mattered.

It didn't matter if you were talking about committing to plans on Friday night, if you were talking about committing my summer to work at some camp, if you were talking about me committing myself to calling some girl my "girlfriend", or if you were simply talking about where we were going to eat dinner that night. I just have just always had trouble committing to that one thing.

I think the reason it has steadily been a struggle in my life is because I was always afraid that something better was going to come along. I was always afraid that better plans were gonna come up, that a better job was gonna come up, that a better girl was gonna come up, that a tastier dinner option was gonna come up, and on and on and on.

Then the sad thing was, often when the better option did come up...I would take it.

Can't tell you how many plans I backed out on cuz something "better" popped up. Can't tell you how many girls never became girlfriends because something "better" showed up. Can't tell you how many friendships got left in the dust because a new buddy came on the scene who seemed "better" at the time. Can't tell you how many years of spiritual growth I missed out on cuz I was bouncing around from church to church looking for something that was even "better" than the last one. Can't tell you how many years of my life I wasted because I was always looking for something better instead of soaking up what I had.

And what is really sad is the fact that I am not alone in this line of thinking.

We live in a society that is wired this exact same way. We are constantly looking for the next best thing and we will bounce on our current "best" thing for the next one, in a heartbeat. It doesn't matter if it's something as trivial as trading in the iPhone 4 you got 3 months ago for the iPhone 5 in a month or if it is something as tragic as trading in your spouse of 26 years for that new secretary that you just got at work.

It is still the same mindset.

We are not content with our right here and right nows. We aren't committed to what we have, right in front of our face, right this second. We are always on the lookout for the next thing to appease our senses a little more than the last thing did. We waste so much of our time, our emotions, our heart, our money, our lives, always trying to keep up with the next best thing.

AND.IT.IS.EXHAUSTING!!

But as long as that is your way of thinking, then its never going to end.

As long as you have trouble committing to RIGHT THIS MOMENT then you will constantly be looking for the next moment to sweep in and save the day.

Look around you right now...

Look at all the blessings you have in your world that you probably take for granted all the time and actually don't even appreciate most of the time because you wish you had something better.

Look at those precious relationships you've neglected for too long. Nothing is guaranteed. Go soak em up.

Look at that church you've been casually bouncing in and out of for 3 years now. Go jump in, head first, right in the deep end and see what happens.

If you're looking at your boyfriend or girlfriend as a "they'll do for now" or a "they're just the best I've come across but I'm hoping for better" then get out. You don't deserve that and neither do they.

The next best thing is a natural part of life because evolving is a natural part of life. Obviously my cell phone today is better than Zack Morris' cell phone. But, the problem comes when you aren't able to fully commit to the here and now because of the possibility of the next best thing.

As I have grown up some and matured some, I have gotten better at commitment. I've been committed to a job I love for 4+ years now, I've been committed to my incredible wife for 2+ years now, and I am even getting better about committing to places for dinner.

Godsey's anyone?