You made a great decision to come to SMC 2022! Do you still believe that?
You inevitably begin to think more about your decision to go to SMC the day after Christmas than any other point since signing up. The only thing between you and the conference is New Year’s day, so it is customary to begin processing what you think your SMC experience will be like.
I have found that your perception of SMC can sometimes be quite a bit off from the reality of what you are going to experience.
3 Common Thought Processes
1) I have bitten off more than I can chew with SMC. Did I make the right decision?
Yes!
Try to think back to Late Night when you most likely signed up for SMC. There was a hunger to know more about God and grow closer to those around you. Dane reminded us of all the benefits, and you were excited.
Christmas break has a numbing effect on a lot of people. Something about being at home and spending time with old friends has a way of shadowing the excitement we once had for spiritual growth.
When that first Main Session starts at SMC, you will have two thoughts running through your head simultaneously. The first will be how glad you are that you decided to come. The second will be how grateful you are that you didn’t back out.
God reminds us in Hebrews 11:6 that “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” It takes faith to come to SMC for the first time, and every year I watch God reward those people who show up!
2) I don’t want to grow in my faith anymore; I think I will stay home.
Be very careful here.
There are two root reasons why I believe we have this thought process. The first comes from John 17:3,
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
It may be that we have forgotten or possibly never realized that knowing God is the very purpose of our existence. When we invest in knowing God, we feel like a fish back in the water!
Another possible root cause comes from Ecclesiastes 10:18, which says,
Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.
The principle here is that laziness has consequences. There are apparent physical consequences when we are lazy, but there are also less obvious spiritual consequences. Prioritizing knowing God and building a relationship with him is hard work. A lazy attitude will always avoid hard work.
Don’t let a lazy heart dictate your decisions over the break. If you are in this camp, staying true to your commitment to SMC may be the breakthrough moment you need to crush the idleness and apathy in your life!
So often, in my experience, something incredible is right on the other side of some hard work and effort.
3) Am I going to feel lonely? I don’t know many people going to SMC…I don’t even know who I am rooming with.
No.
If you come to SMC with an optimistic mindset and participate in the things SMC encourages you to do, it will be three days filled with new relationships and life-changing content!
So many people I know and love who are thriving in life on many levels say it all started with the decision to go to SMC. I am not saying it is the secret to a successful life, but I will say that the SMC environment is designed to help you succeed!
And I would argue that staying home by yourself has much higher odds for you feeling lonely from Jan 2-5th.
Final thought
There are three things that the Bible teaches that are eternal. God, God’s People, and God’s Word (Bible). When you are considering an investment, you should always consider the return on investment (ROI) in anything. Most investments have risk involved that causes many to be hesitant. For example, one of my family members has been encouraging me to invest in crypto-currency, but my lack of confidence in the outcome gives me cold feet.
What is the ROI of SMC? Well, SMC is built around God, God’s People, and God’s Word, the only three things that last forever. Do you know what this means? Your time, energy, and money investment in SMC is a sure thing! You can’t lose! The only loss would be not to invest by not coming to SMC.
We are so excited to see all of you soon and experience this amazing conference together!