Courting His Approval
Apr/072
I'm currently reading a daily devotional book of selected writings from Oswald Chambers' classic book My Utmost for His Highest. The wording in the book is a bit antiquated. The Scripture references come from the King James Version, which is not the version of the Bible I would normally use because I have difficulty understanding it. Even so, there is a depth and a richness in Chambers' writings that challenges me.
Here's a line from today's reading that really got the wheels in my mind turning:
Never court anything other than the approval of God.
There are times when God's approval is way down our list of priorities…even in the church. I've seen too many churches where…
-church growth is a lot less about introducing lost people to Jesus and a lot more about puffing up the pastor's ego.
-financial giving is a lot less about offering sacrificial worship to God and a lot more about that new facility we want to build.
-a thriving youth ministry is a lot less about connecting students to God and a lot more about the youth minister keeping his job.
-the church's mission as a whole is a lot less about honoring God and a lot more about keeping the right people happy.
And all the while, Oswald Chambers' words are ringing in my ears:
Never court anything other than the approval of God.
The shift away from courting God's approval is a subtle one. After all, evangelism, financial giving, a quality youth ministry, etc. are all spiritual issues. And who wouldn't want their church to excel in these areas along with many others? But we've got to remember that it is possible to prostitute our spiritual success. It happens when our pursuit of spiritual success is motivated by anything other than seeking God's approval.
Remember the Pharisees of Jesus' day. They were spiritual success stories in the eyes of their peers. They were spiritual failures in the eyes of Jesus. They were failures because their spirituality was put on display to win the approval of people instead of God. (See Matthew 6:1-18)
I have a few ministry colleagues around the country that I enjoy talking to, until the subject of church attendance comes up. I hate it when they ask me, "So, what's the average attendance at your church?" I hate this question because when I answer it, they're always quick to volunteer information about their average attendance. It seems that their numbers are inevitably higher than ours. It's at this point that I just want to end the conversation because I feel inferior.
That whole exercise is stupid. Why do I feel inferior? Why do they feel superior? (And don't get me wrong…while it's far from a majority, there are a select few of them who actually do feel that way.) It's because we're pursuing a perceived success based upon human standards.
And Oswald Chambers reminds me:
Never court anything other than the approval of God.
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12:02 pm on April 24th, 2007
Mike, as you have probably figured out by now, I am reading your blog everyday. Hope you don't mind a comment from time to time (even if it doesn't get posted), it makes me feel connected to your ministry in some small way.
Having been part of a church where the pastor's ego was THE focal point, your words ring very true. Thankfully, I, and your congregation, now have a pastor who understands how desperately we in the church body need "real" pastors. Ministers who want nothing more than to serve God. Great post.
1:04 pm on April 25th, 2007
I can really relate to how annoying it is that one of the first questions our friends in ministry ask is, "What's your church averaging now?" I mean, do we ever inquire about how they feel the church is growing spiritually and not physically? Most of the time not, and I'm just as guilty as the next guy. I think that unless we as the current generation of ministers put a stop to this physical thinking, the church will become nothing more than a spiritual business in the very near future.
Great thoughts man.