College Sports, Global Missions, and the Great Decommit

What Does It Mean To Be Commissioned?

The older you are, the more likely you complain about the state of college sports. It’s not what it used to be. As a result, we’ve had to learn new vocabulary and abbreviations like “portal” and “NIL.” Many see it as a commentary on our commitment-phobic culture. Others see it as a movement toward justice for young players whose time and talent have been used to enrich schools and coaches. As recently as 2023, the highest paid public employee in 43 states was a college football coach. At that time, the highest paid public employee in the nation was Alabama’s Nick Saban, who pulled in over $11 million a year. His fans say he was worth every penny.

One of the words bandied about in this debate is “decommit.” A heavily recruited high school athlete “commits” to a certain school, but within a few weeks, he “decommits.” You can do that? Apparently.

The Decline of Commitment

On the surface, the word “decommit” sounds like an oxymoron. To commit is to make a promise. It’s a pledge to follow through on a certain course of action, no matter the obstacles you encounter. Purchasing a pet comes with a commitment. Buying a house comes with a commitment. Getting married comes with a commitment. You can’t just wake up one morning and decide you’re done feeding the dog, paying your mortgage, or being faithful to your spouse. Commitment means you follow through on what you say you’ll do. Others are counting on you. You can’t just let them down. At least, not without consequences.

But “decommit” in the world of college athletics means exactly that. You can decide to not follow through on a verbal commitment and there will be no consequences. You just “commit” to another school. If that school doesn’t advance your personal ambitions like you hoped, simply enter the portal. School loyalty no longer exists, if it ever did.

I’m not saying that all these changes are bad. A lot of young athletes were being exploited and that needed to be addressed. But large concentrations of money can have a corrupting influence. College athletics were once the domain of amateur athletes. The word “amateur” is derived from the Latin word “amator” which means “lover.” Amateur athletes play for love of the game, love of their school, love of their team, love of sport. Amateur sports played a key role in society, developing crucial virtues in young people that are necessary for later success in marriage, marketplace, and political and military leadership. In amateur sports, sportsmanship was the priority, as I’ve written about here. In professional sports today, the priority is self-promoting profit.

So I’m concerned that the church may too easily accept the notion of decommitting in general. It may be a thing out there, but it can’t be a thing in the church. The nature of discipleship is exactly the opposite. Jesus could not have been clearer:

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” –Luke 9:23

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” –Luke 9:62

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. –Luke 14:27

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? –Luke 14:28

Either you commit to Jesus or you don’t. But once you commit, decommitting isn’t an option. You can’t just stop following him, loving him, and obeying him. Not without consequences. Will following Jesus be painful? At times. Will other options look more pleasant? Of course. But it doesn’t matter. At your baptism, you publicly identified with Christ and vowed before the world that by his grace, you would follow him for the rest of your life. It’s not easy, but it’s simple.

Disciple-Making Dispatches From the Mission Field

I’m humbled and encouraged when I see my brothers and sisters around the world keep their commitment to Christ in the most difficult circumstances. An example of Christian commitment can be found in Ukraine, a nation cruelly crippled by a war they did not start. The human misery is hard to describe as Ukraine is literally running out of men to serve in their military and defend their nation against unjust aggression. And yet, our missionaries there faithfully lead their church, visit injured soldiers in hospitals, serve as chaplains to the military, and care for children who have lost fathers and brothers to Russian bombs and bullets. Like a lighthouse, they offer the bright hope of the gospel in their dark world.

Here are some recent pictures from our partners in Ukraine used with their permission:

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One Commission, Three Options

Consider the last command that the risen Jesus left his followers:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:18–20

It’s no accident that we call this the Great Commission. Jesus commissions us to take the gospel to all the nations of the earth, baptize those who believe it, teach them sound apostolic doctrine, and help them follow Christ. It wasn’t easy in the first century and it’s not easy now. Obeying the Great Commission always requires a great commitment.

As others have noted, our options are limited to three: Go, send, or disobey. Our church’s missionaries have been called to go to places like Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Indonesia, and Taiwan. But all of our church members have been called to send the goers by providing prayer, emotional, and financial support. The third option is to disobey; to neither go nor send; to play no significant role in accomplishing the Great Commission. In other words, the third option is to decommit.

It Doesn’t Get Easier Than This

Those who know me well have heard me say many times that it doesn’t get easier to follow Jesus than following Jesus in the United States. Especially in the red states. Especially in Alabama. If you can’t do it here, you can’t do it anywhere. Nonetheless, too often the tiniest pushback frightens us, the smallest inconvenience stops us, the faintest threat silences us, and minimal cost keeps us from following through on the commitment we made to be significantly involved in making disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, until Christ returns. Because we are a commissioned people, we must be a committed people.

So What Do I Do Next?

If you’ve noticed yourself decommitting from the Great Commission lately, let me suggest a kickstart. Go to a good missions conference. Our next missions conference is just three weeks away. It’s the highlight of our year for a reason. The purpose of the conference is to educate, encourage, and equip. We will be educated in what God is doing among the nations. We will encourage our many missionaries who will be with us. We will be equipped to go and send.

Will attending a missions conference cost you time and effort? Yes. Is it inconvenient? Yes. Is it easy? Hey, we’re all busy. Will it be worth it? Always. But make no mistake: participating in the missions conference will require commitment.

The Flags Are Up!

At the Madison Campus and the Decatur Campus, the flags are up, which means we’re gearing up for the missions conference, February 28–March 2. Get more information about the conference here.