ShepherdLeader.com

I am too often consumed by the "business" of church. Every Monday, I start off my week by looking at the data from Sunday. I examine our "count" and our "giving" totals. Too often, the way I measure a successful Sunday is by how many people came out to service and how much was collected. More so, in my staff meetings, we spend quite a bit of our time and energy on figuring out new and creative ways to do church and services and ministry programs. But I wonder what motivates me? If I'm honest, a big chunk is the growth of the church. I do believe that the Kingdom of God is to be ever expanding but often times I get lost in all the numbers and the numbers become my motivation, perhaps even my god.

I was definitely convicted when reading the story about the Bedouin shepherd, in particular his statement, "My sons don't have the heart for this work so they don't deserve the business." What hit me when reading this excerpt was that I have a heart issue. I am too focussed on the "business" of church and not enough about the church, which ultimately is the people. Do I really have "compassion" for my congregation? Am I truly leading and shepherding as one after the heart of God?

My prayer is that I wake up and realize that ministry is not a business but rather its all about tending and caring and having compassion for people, God's people.

There is a lot of pressure to perform to the expectations of worldly "success," to build numbers, whether in attendance or in giving, to achieve status and to climb the ladder. All of this has continually left me feeling empty and wondering if this is really what the ministry is all about. When I read the words, "What really matters is that you have the heart for it," I realized that what was missing was the very thing that has moved me to service in ministry in the first place- my heart. I had lost my heart in the midst of the expectations.
My question then is- how do we maintain and honor our hearts' connection to ministry and the people we serve, while at the same time living in a world that judges us based, not on our hearts, but on our performance in light of their expectations. I think there are several interconnected answers. To begin with, I think I need to remember Whose I am and Who I truly serve. When I keep the perspective that I serve God first and foremost, then I feel less pressured by the expectations of others. I also need to remember that choosing to serve God instead of the world can create consequences in the world, and this requires me to daily renew my trust in God that I will be taken care of and provided for, no matter what happens. It is also my hope that by having the courage to model a way of life that leads with the heart, I will both educate and inspire others to follow this way as well. If enough of that modeling and following occurs, then maybe we can create a shift from the expectations of the world in ministry to the heart of God in ministry. This is my heart's prayer.