August 12, 2008
Trophies
As
I sat at the table having lunch with a friend I heard a passing remark that made
me wince. The man a few tables over said "I got another convert last
week."
Now,
I understand fully what he meant by that remark. He was rejoicing in the fact
that a sinner has been reconciled to God and that is reason to rejoice. They
even rejoice in heaven when that happens. I was excited to hear that the flock
had grown by one more,
The
problem is that to a non-believer it sounds as if he was collecting another
scalp or putting a notch in his gun. It sounds more like a personal trophy than
giving glory to God when we speak in those terms.
We
sometimes act as if the more notches in our gun or the more scalps in our belt
the better Christians we are. Now, please understand me. I am not against people
coming to know the Lord. I believe Jesus is the only way and that all believers
are commanded by Christ to do all that we can to bring people into the kingdom,
after all that is the thrust behind Jesus having come. It is just that it is
very dangerous to measure success by numbers and especially so when we give
ourselves the glory.
I
wince when people ask me "How many people have you lead to the Lord?"
The answer is none. Oh I have been humbled to be used by the Lord to enrich the
harvest many times, but it is Holy Spirit who calls them and leads them. I'm
simply a tool in His hands. I can no more lead someone to the Lord than a hammer
can drive a nail. Without the carpenter's hand to guide the process the hammer
simply sits there useless. It is the carpenter who drives the nail. The hammer
and nail is simply his tools.
Sometimes
we measure the success of a ministry or church by the number of trophies it has
acquired. The greater the number the easier it seems to generate interest and
financial support. There are countries and revivals where every crusade or
mission generates tremendous numbers of "conversions", so many so that
they must be "Christian" ten times over. Yet we see no change. Why? To
accept Jesus is the polite socially acceptable thing to do and people don't want
to be rude or in the case of some countries they simply add Jesus to their list
of deities that they worship. It's no big deal to add one more God to the mix. A
conversion to Jesus without a life change is not a true conversion!
There
are missionaries and ministries that do the Lord’s work and do not grow
naturally but spiritually their success rate in heaven is far numerable than the
largest church because of the seeds sown, crops watered and the harvest only the
Lord knows and is responsible for.
The
true trophies are not in this world, but the scope of their work will be
revealed in glory. They have labored long and hard without recognition. They
have remained faithful even in the times where it must have seemed as if they
were making no headway. Their reward will be "Well done good and faithful
servant." I also believe that much will be revealed in glory to show how
fruitful their efforts truly were.
True
results are not only the results that can be counted. True results are shown in
obedience, faithfulness and changed lives. One transformed life is worth more
than ten-thousand empty professions of faith.
We're
warned against trophy hunting for public approval
Matthew
6:1-6 NET
“Be careful not to display your
righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with
your Father in heaven. Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a
trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that
people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. But when
you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing, so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret,
will reward you. Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they
love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people
can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. But whenever you pray,
go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your
Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Jeremiah
preached a lifetime without a single convert. Noah preached 100 years and in the
end only his family was saved. Hardly successes by today's standards but both
were pleasing to God.
Until
next time, may your trophies be what the Lord is concerned with faithfulness and
simple obedience. God will add the numbers when and where He sees fit. Our job
is to be obedient, it is His responsibility and for His glory that any results
come about.
Darrel
Mason