If it makes you happy...it can't be that bad???
Someone said to me today (rather innocently, I’ll concede), “My granddaughter likes her church. She’s very happy there.” Isn’t that the mark of a good church nowadays? A good church makes people happy. A church is a provider of certain goods and services that, if done well and with enough excitement, it will make the folks within the church happy.
One friend of mine received a great deal of heat when he said to his congregation that his calling wasn’t to make people happy. This comment elicited a called meeting of church leaders to reprimand my friend.
If Jesus’ ministry had been graded by how many people he made “happy,” Jesus would never have made it past the first pastor evaluation meeting. Jesus made a lot of “good” religious folks very unhappy. His teachings upset the system. He called his followers to bear a cross. He called them to a lifestyle where there would be no place to lay one’s head. He asked his disciples to lay down their lives for others as he would for them. He called them to spend their lives for the benefit of others. What’s happy about that?
I contend that happy churches may continue to have more people, but they aren’t growing. Growing in physical numbers, yes. But growing spiritually, no. It’s pretty clear throughout the teachings of Jesus and Paul that it is through crosses and thorns that people are made to be like Christ. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” Jesus’ road to “happiness” or fulfillment demanded a hunger and thirst for righteousness that can only be born out of selflessness and self-reproach – two things not on my happy list.
Ok, pastors, what are we doing? Do we exist to make people happy, or do we exist to call people to greater commitment to Christ? Ok, church people. How do we judge our pastors? By how “happy” they make us, or by how much they challenge us to trade our human happiness for a greater cause?
One friend of mine received a great deal of heat when he said to his congregation that his calling wasn’t to make people happy. This comment elicited a called meeting of church leaders to reprimand my friend.
If Jesus’ ministry had been graded by how many people he made “happy,” Jesus would never have made it past the first pastor evaluation meeting. Jesus made a lot of “good” religious folks very unhappy. His teachings upset the system. He called his followers to bear a cross. He called them to a lifestyle where there would be no place to lay one’s head. He asked his disciples to lay down their lives for others as he would for them. He called them to spend their lives for the benefit of others. What’s happy about that?
I contend that happy churches may continue to have more people, but they aren’t growing. Growing in physical numbers, yes. But growing spiritually, no. It’s pretty clear throughout the teachings of Jesus and Paul that it is through crosses and thorns that people are made to be like Christ. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” Jesus’ road to “happiness” or fulfillment demanded a hunger and thirst for righteousness that can only be born out of selflessness and self-reproach – two things not on my happy list.
Ok, pastors, what are we doing? Do we exist to make people happy, or do we exist to call people to greater commitment to Christ? Ok, church people. How do we judge our pastors? By how “happy” they make us, or by how much they challenge us to trade our human happiness for a greater cause?
posted by RevDave at 10:48 PM
3 Comments:
Happiness is temporary, joy is permanent. Happiness is based on "happenings" while joy is eternal and internal. Pastors are called to disciple us not make us happy. We cannot be conformed to Christ's image without much pain and suffering. As he turns up the heat in our lives, the dross of our fleshly desires rises to the top and is scraped off. As we are challenged by God through our pastors, we are to pick up our crosses daily. Remember the cross? That heavy, painful weapon Christ carried so that he could be crucified by those he tried to disciple? Doesn't sound happy to me. The joy comes in knowing that it's all for God's glory. That in the suffering comes a drawing near to Him and a dependence on Him and with that comes a peace in knowing He carries us and carried our burdens first. He cannot use any of us greatly until we have suffered greatly. The love our Father has for us is so great, we cannot fathom its depth. He has planned our days and has promised to never leave or forsake us. Ours is a heavy burden made light by Christ's yoke. Father, I pray for the Pastors around the world that you would encourage them to finish the race you have engaged them in. I ask that you would bless them and their families greatly and that their congregations would rise in support and commit to prayer for them. We know they are under attack by evil. Help them to remember that is how Your Son spent his life, under constant attack and He was able to endure because of You. Give them the desire and time to be still with You. Gracious, heavenly Father, pour out on them a spirit of tenacity to do Your will on this earth as Your Son was purposed to do Your wil. And give us the hearts to receive Your word and guidance from them. Help us to bless Your heart, o God, by being a blessing to our pastors. That makes me happy and joyful.
who is barbara jo?
she seems to be a great writer.
Rev Dave:
when can you post more?
You write well.
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