success: what is it anyway?

Written by

Adam McLane

in


Posted by Hello
Golf world
Perhaps one thing I really like about golf is that I can measure my success. Sunday, I had a hard time keeping the ball on the golf course, today i had a couple of birdies. Going from a 50 to a 40 in a week is a success no matter how you look at it. I can feel it, I can measure, and others can see it and know that I am getting successful.

Not so fast!
But in my ministry, success isn’t so easily quantified. Sure, there are projects that go well and I could measure to say were a “success” but is that really success? I don’t think so. I don’t feel like God called me to be an event planner or even a group builder… God called me to lead people into a closer walk with Himself. So, while I can chop that up into “bit size” measureables… How do you really quantify spiritual growth in a person? By what they do? By their attitude? By their attendance? By their ability to lead others to Christ? By total “butts in seats” or something like that?

But you are a success PA!
If I were to voice this angst to people in our church I would hear, “PA, we think you are successful, everyone can tell you are doing a God job.” Really? How do I know? How come when it looks so successful I feel like such a failure?

Group therapy
I find great solace in being with other youth guys. There is something of a camaraderie in this job. We all feel the same way to some extent… We can see the good we are doing, but since it isn’t always measurable… We all feel constant uneasiness. Being with other people in ministry just feels good because we’re all in the same boat together.

What is success in ministry anyway?
As I search my brain for answers from God’s word… I only see “to die is gain” “offer your body as a living sacrifice” “imitate Christ” “die to self” on and on and on. Perhaps the real problem is that success isn’t the right word for measuring effectiveness. Why do we need to measure this anyway? Why is ministry judged from business terminology? Why are business pressures put on something that is in the spiritual realm?

Today I am just full of questions without answers…

This is why I like golf, I can measure my success!

Comments

2 responses to “success: what is it anyway?”

  1. JOE B Avatar
    JOE B

    PA,
    I used to wonder about some of the same questions you are wondering about now. Why do people measure things about ministries? I used to try and try and a lot of times be disappointed because I was measuring a ministry by worldly standards. Then I thought, am I doing what God wants me to do? Am I doing things to the best of my ability and to the standards of the Bible and God? If you are doing these things then you are a huge success in the eyes of God! Shouldn’t that be the person we are trying to please the most?
    Man, don’t get me wrong, I am not the person to be giving advice to a pastor, but I hate it when the devil tries to put any sort of doubt in a man of God like yourself. Youth ministry is hard enough without having to worry about if we are putting people in the seats. It shouldn’t matter if we have one person in our youth group, as long as we do it for the glory of God.
    I hope this has been an encouragement for you.

    God bless, Joe

    PS. 10 stokes in a week, awesome!

    Reply
  2. The Complimenting Commenter Avatar
    The Complimenting Commenter

    Very interesting post. I just hope that you can feel success, measured or not. Great site.

    Reply

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