This post is ripe for push back; however, if my premise is sound, then I don't expect any!
I struggle (regularly) with the tension between following Jesus and the felt need to measure the impact of my ministry. As a missionary, this "need" rises from the desire to encourage my supporters with inspiring demonstrations of impact. People want to know that their "investment" in my work is "profitable".
Frankly, I am making all the impact I am capable of. God uses me at His discretion. Some followers of Jesus are used for making an impact on a large amount of people. Others are used to make a large impact on just a few people. Honestly, I think the latter is more scriptural; however, the world leans toward the former. Our culture values the broader, arguably less deep, impact on more people, because, frankly, it is more financially profitable!
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Oswald Chambers writes...
We consider what we do in the way of Christian work as service, yet Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine. "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . , he cannot be My disciple" ( Luke 14:26 ). In this verse, there is no argument and no pressure from Jesus to follow Him; He is simply saying, in effect, "If you want to be My disciple, you must be devoted solely to Me...
People do not really want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their Friend, and who are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. Our Lord’s primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people— the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a "doormat." The secret of a disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that "falls into the ground and dies"— it will spring up and change the entire landscape ( John 12:24 ).
Want impact? Devote yourself to Jesus!
Lon Alderman
www.AcornMinistries.com
@leaderlifter (twitter)
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4 comments:
Lon, I'll push back a little.
I share your tension between following Christ and having the need to "feel" impact, as you well know. First, I let John Wesley guide me with his words, "Do all the good you can,By all the means you can,In all the ways you can,In all the places you can,At all the times you can,To all the people you can,As long as ever you can."
Unfortunately, I have limits in my capacity to believe "all that I can", while God has no limits to what He might do with me or through me. Another tension...
So I do set goals with impact and "profitability" in mind, and I use the term profitability in its broadest sense of possible currency. I have found that when I set goals that expect little from me, I have little impact. When I set bold goals, God seems to take notice and get more involved, I guess! He uses my crumbs to feed thousands, at times.
My work with people can be intimate and powerful and life-changing. I charge a fee, and the more money I make I believe the more good I can do in this world. I seek to reach at least 100 individual leaders each year, believing each of them will also reach 10 more, creating a wave of impact.
I always intentionally focus on Purpose, yet seldom overtly focus on God or faith in my secular business, yet God always comes up because He always gets involved.
In fact, the more I recognize God's omnipresence and the propinquity of the Holy Spirit, the more impact I realize - on me and my clients.
I guess what I am saying is that I, not God, create the tensions I experience. He gives, I receive, and I save, spend or reinvest. The more and better I invest, the more impact I seem have in people's lives, on organizations I serve, and in the Kingdom of God that encompasses them all.
In the end, I find no harm in seeking to have enormous and measurable impact. The danger lies in my "need" for impact, rather than just trusting God.
Thanks for the feedback, Mark! And, I appreciate your push back as this is how I learn.
I think you captured what I was trying to say in your last sentence:
"The danger lies in my "need" for impact, rather than just trusting God."
I also agree with diligence in the work to which God has assigned us. Also, I agree with our need to be excellent stewards of the gifts God has given us.
Excellent thoughts! Thank you for the sharpening, Mark!
Lon, thanks for the post. I might also push back a bit.
Sometimes, at least for me, goals become obstacles to impact. I often pursue goals and then catch myself looking past people God has placed in my path for a momentary "interruption." I recall one time standing in line at a store and my greatest concern in the universe was whether or not the person in front of me would pay with a check (instead of something quicker). I didn't want her to keep me from what I was trying to do. In that instant, God convicted me of my pursuit of my own plans over His. So I spent the remainder of my time in that line praying for her. I don't even remember how she paid!
While we can't measure the impact of that event, I'm confident it was the best use of my time. Trusting God, I know it was the greatest impact I could make in that moment. So for me, many times I have to just remember to let my focus be in the moment and, like you mentioned so well in your post, trust God for the difference He makes in the world through me.
Mike...
Good morning, Mike!
This is pretty cool...I was just reading up on you (http://leadchangegroup.com/about)and there in my inbox was your comment! Thank you for your thoughts and your kind words!
This idea of trusting God in the moment is fascinating to me! All my life I've been encouraged to orient my life according to my goals, but in my striving for that purpose I have missed so many opportunities.
I've prayed, "Lord, I want to be used by you, today." Then moments later I'll be frustrated with my daughter interrupting my prayer time!
I am not willing to abandon the need to invest my life purposefully and that is best achieved with a sense of mission/vision. However, my zeal for that purpose should never interfere with the opportunities God places in the line in front of me!
Thank you Mike for keeping this topic current in my mind!
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