What is your motivation for doing ministry?

I suspect that one of the greatest hindrances to church health is the push for church growth. It is the American craving known as the "success syndrome."

Many pastors, if they are honest with themselves, are driven by a thirst for success. They measure it by their Sunday morning attendance, the size of their buildings, and the size of their annual budgets. If you don't believe me, just try to be a fly on the wall when pastors gather. While social etiquette keeps them from being too forthright, they will look for opportunities to tell other pastors about the status of their church ... especially if it is "successful." They often size each other up based upon these numbers and gather with pastors who are "equal" to them or even "more successful." Sometimes, they'll even use social media to broadcast how well things are going. Too many times, the primary purpose of sharing this information is to impress others with how valuable we are rather than to exalt Jesus. While growth and success/fruitfulness aren't wrong, they can be used as the basis for pride in the heart of a minister.

The problem is compounded when we consider that many congregations demand it. They want a church they can be proud of. They aren't necessarily craving to be holy in God's eyes ... but they sure want a church that they can brag on to their family and friends (I'm overgeneralizing to make my point). "MY church put on a huge, incredible Christmas performance!" "MY church is growing so fast that we're talking about starting another service!" "MY church ..." While these things aren't wrong in themselves, they can be a source of pride in the one who looks for ways to impress others. The spotlight isn't on Jesus ... it's on "self."

And congregations place this demand upon their ministers. They aren't impressed with calls to prayer ... they just want a church that's busy and doing things. They aren't necessarily desiring to have a long invitation where people are broken over their sin ... they just want to be a part of a church that they can brag about and that gets out of worship services on time.

In reality, it's just the same old thing that has plagued humanity since the beginning of time. It's just been repackaged. It's the self-centered sin nature.

Just as Adam and Eve threw off the constraints of God's authority and law in the Garden of Eden, so we live our lives for ourselves all too often. The problem is that we do so wrapped in the shell of religion so people tend to think that this is the way it's supposed to be. We do religious stuff but it's really all about us, not Jesus. We're seeking the glory, not ascribing it to Him.

And we ALL struggle with it. Pastors and church attenders alike.

Pastor, you'd better be so careful about this propensity of the human heart. Live your life in conscious submission to Jesus. Seek His face in the moments of each day. Acknowledge His authority over you and seek His guidance, His strength, ... whatever He will give you so that you can accomplish the task He has before you.

Then, when He does something wonderful, you only have Him to praise. Sure, you can share what's going on in your church but it will be for the sole purpose of getting to the phrase: "Isn't Jesus wonderful!"

John 3:30
"He must increase but I must decrease."