Several friends have shared with me lately how relieved they are to be free of the relentless commitments that dictated their schedules throughout their full-time careers and while raising their families.
These friends are a decade or so older than me, are self-starters and stay as busy as they want to be each day. They have lots of energy and desire to still contribute positively to others but appreciate the opportunity to make decisions about their routines on a day-to-day basis.
Flexible schedule
The freedom comes in not having to keep a daily, weekly or monthly schedule that others depend on but rather picking and choosing the who, what, when and where based on how they are feeling that day — and even changing their minds at the last minute if something more appealing comes along.
They’ve worked hard for a lifetime already, so enjoying this type of freedom in the second half of their life seems more than fair.
However, a concern surfaces when the philosophy of avoiding commitments shifts to a younger generation who are new to the workforce rather than it being a reward for decades of hard work and sacrificial giving.
In fact, the commitment levels of those born during the 21st century time frame (since the late 1990s and into the 2000s) are being studied and researched. Some reports indicate the most difficult aspect of the incoming workforce is a lack of commitment.
The term “situationship” has surfaced as a reality among these digital natives who also seem to encounter more mental health crises than previous generations — potentially because of an overdose of digital access.
Short-term basis
The idea of situationship is to participate on a short-term basis and only as long as the situation is beneficial to the person’s personal needs.
But what about the business, organization, ministry or service that needs trained people in various positions to fulfill its mission? What happens to its impact if the participants are continually turning over and the leaders spend most of their time training and motivating?
Our culture functions best when everyone uses their gifts, talents and skills to contribute to the greater good — and when they invest in and mentor those coming behind them. Our churches are structured similarly.
While we already struggle to maintain relational connections among the six to seven generations represented in our congregations, what will it be like if more and more people choose “situationship” rather than long-term commitment?
Think about how hard it is now to schedule a time where every member of your family, friend circle, church group or community club can be present.
Importance of balance
We all have a variety of personal responsibilities, routines and needs as well as seasons of life that require additional attention. We may truly want to participate in several groups, events or opportunities but must balance those with our life in general.
If a large segment of the population on both ends of the age spectrum shift to a lifestyle of low or no commitment across the board, then that leaves those of us in the middle to determine how much we can shoulder. It also means determining how much spare energy we can give to continually reorganizing, recruiting, training, motivating, resetting, reworking and adapting.
It likely means a triage mentality will be needed, and it certainly means rethinking strategies, structures and situations more often.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This editorial was written by Jennifer Davis Rash, president and editor-in-chief of TAB Media Group, for her Rashional Thoughts column and will appear in the August 7 edition of The Alabama Baptist newspaper. To subscribe, click here.
