Vacation
As American comes out of a holiday weekend and the world looks at Christmas less then a month away, vacation seems to be on the minds of many right now.
Vacation, what a concept. We take/ get some time off from work and really only seem to get more hurried and frustrated because we try to cram six month or a year’s worth of fun into a few short days. My wife and I seem to be in a pattern of just staying home and working around the house. There always seems to be things that need work. It may be cheaper, in some ways, but it is no less stressful as we are trying to get all the stuff we have put off done. We always try to get away at least for a one day trip, but one never knows with all we have too do.
Anyway, the thought of vacation brought to my furrowed mind the concept of rest and relaxation. Those things are not bad in themselves, but like anything if we get too much of them they are dangerous. Of course the right answer is to balance rest and recovery with growth / learning and with actual battle, work and warfare. That balance is the key for all areas of life, but it is even more vital within the church and within the lives of Christians. Most churches, and church people, never really find that balance point. That leads me to today’s thought - does a church suffer more when it’s members always rest or when they never rest.
I know the quick response answer of most Christians would be the latter, when the church always rest, and honestly I would have to agree on the whole. If the church is always a rest, or always recovering from something, or following what I believe is the actual trinity within the Baptist faith - 1) meet, 2) eat, and 3) retreat (I can say that because I am Baptist), they accomplish nothing, and probably do not even accomplish finding their own salvation because they lack becoming a “new” creation as all they ever did was “get saved” and then they get over it. So, I will say on the whole that a inactive church is probably more damaging then a over active church.
With that said however, let’s look at some of the pitfalls of the over active church. I know that may be a concept that is hard to imagine but I do think such places, and such individuals within many churches exist. These churches, or individuals, are typified by trying to be everywhere, in everything, and always willing to do more. They are so involved in everything that they try influencing every decision within the body, the community, and within the lives of individuals that they touch. Their concern is more about not missing a opportunity to minister and / or impact the world then to actually doing a good job at the ministries they do.
Churches with this problem can be large churches with numerous ministries, but with no real focus or organization, or small churches that are constantly warring against everything around them. Over active Christians are the ones that are there every time the church is open not because they are called be there, but because they are obligated to be there because they are on every committee, decision team, outreach team, activity team, evangelism team, etc that the church or community has.
All that is every accomplished by these churches, or individuals, is the creation of more places for them to work, which then results in more work to do. It is a very vicious cycle. In the process they really just accomplish doing more damage to the already delicate relationship between the church and the world. They also manage to keep the churches / people that are really called to work in certain areas from being able too work in them. They do this because the over active person / church fills the position/s or does the job/s themselves. They do not expand the gospel they just “work” in the name of Christ. Many times, they are successful at creating damage in the name of the gospel though, that must only be repaired later by other churches / believers.
My contention is not that these churches, or people, are more damaging then inactive ones, but that they are causing damage because they do nothing with heart and soul, it is all just heated activity and ineffective motion. As I say to my classes many times, all action and no forward motion typifies many ministries, many churches, and many believers. As most believers know, a relationship with God is far more then a list of activities, meetings, opportunities, and events.
This is not too say that we should not be active. I just contend that we need to be active at the things that we are called too, and the things that we really care about. Showing up and going through the motions of ministry does not glorify God, nor does it benefit our walk. Eventually this will just create one more hypocritical church, or person, that will condemn without love and judge without mercy.
In the end, such people, groups, and churches will be judged by God. Many will not like the results as all they will have to show is a list of works and they will have no relationship with Christ to base their works on. In addition to missing God in all the work that they do in His name, they will also create a lot of ill will and feelings about the rest of the body of Christ in the world of the lost.
There is nothing wrong with working for God, but we must not let the work become more of our faith then the relationship that is suppose to motivate the work.
Today, I want to encourage you to encourage / challenge others to minister with the right hearts, minds, motives, and souls. We are not a blessing to God unless we are a blessing to others. Sometimes we are all guilty of failing the last while trying to accomplish the first.
