Battling Numbers

Getting past the need to see ever-increasing numbers.

Numbers can be deceptively powerful. They can actually take prisoners. I'm proof. Until recently, a number was holding me captive. It did not need chains to keep me down; only my own insecurities. This number had nothing to do with my finances or my child's grade point average, yet it had everything to do with perceived success. The Bible study I help lead has significantly fewer heads this year. Once bursting-at-the-seams, it's slimmed down considerably. And that was causing me great anxiety.

I'm not alone in my fixation with numbers. In today's more-is-better America, we're usually seeking loftier numbers. We want numerous bedrooms in our homes, several cars in our garages, and higher balances in our bank accounts. We want dozens of choices in our grocery stores, increased children's programs at our churches, and more time in each day.

Numbers Epidemic

This fixation with higher numbers has also permeated many evangelical churches. We need only to look at the explosion of megachurches to see this. Christians and non-Christians alike consider these churches extremely successful. They grab the attention of the mainstream media as well as Christian publications. Some of their pastors become bestselling authors, even moderating presidential debates. Megachurches are unique from one another, but they have one similarity—they boast very large numbers.

I am not against large churches—in fact, numbers are sometimes a great indicator that something is working well. But my anxiety about the dwindling numbers in my Bible study has caused me pause. I believe many of us are, as Christians, bowing down to numbers. We actually begin to follow them, worshiping them when they're high and cowering before them when they're low. What a mistake.

Unfortunately, it's one that's easy to slip into. We are a numbers-oriented society; trained to seek and expect high numbers, and to equate them with success.

But what kind of success? Worldly, certainly. But what does the Bible say about the success of large numbers? God certainly does not play the more-is-better game. The story of Noah indicates that God would rather have true belief than large numbers. Out all the people who lived during Noah's time, only eight were saved from the flood due to their righteousness (Gen. 7:1). It was from these few that God built his kingdom. In fact, time after time Scripture tells us of faithful remnants of God's people who make an impact for his kingdom despite their low numbers.

Biblical Point of View

Naomi's family in Moab is an example. They were indeed small in number, yet they made such an impact on Ruth that she converted to Judaism and contributed to the lineage of Jesus (Ruth 4:18–22). The disciples are another case in point. Jesus chose 12, not 12,000. And those 12 impacted the world.

There is a number that God insists on being very high, and that's the number of people who choose Jesus as their way, their truth, and their life. In fact, he is patiently waiting for that number to keep climbing. The gospel is meant for all nations, as Matthew tells us (Matt. 28). Clearly, God is interested in the number of people with true belief in Jesus Christ. We should, as Christians, also be focusing on that number, not merely higher numbers in general.

I've realized my Bible study is a modern day example of God's faithful remnant. In the past, this non-denominational neighborhood study topped out at 70 women. This year, it's down to about 35 regulars. This is not a slight reduction.

Gaining Perspective

My first reaction, as I've already confessed, was a debilitating fear. Instead of focusing on Christ, I focused on my own abilities. Somehow, I had to bring the numbers back up. After all, if numbers were down, something must be wrong. I had to identify the problem and fix it. For weeks I spun my wheels, trying to increase attendance. Finally, I did what I should have done at the outset. I knelt down to God.

As I committed the Bible study and its future to prayer, I felt God speak to my heart in a way I don't often experience. I envy my brothers and sisters in Christ who seem to have a clear, open dialogue with the Lord; for me, his voice often seems muffled. But sometimes, just sometimes, God knocks me from my chair with his clarity. This was one of those times.

God told me, quite clearly, to remember my old church, which I loved and was grieved to leave. He reminded me that when everything there imploded, attendance was at a record high. It was the place where everyone wanted to go. But during a theological crisis, it simply fell apart. Higher numbers do not necessarily indicate more people have true belief.

I realized it is the same with the Bible study. It is pared down and streamlined, but stronger than ever. The women who attend each week are committed and eager to delve into the Word. The enthusiasm has been infectious; each woman feels accountability and responsibility to the more intimate group. True belief is stronger than in previous years, despite the lower number.

Recently, when studying Joshua 5:13, I was again reminded that we need to look higher than numbers. In the passage, Joshua finally draws near Jericho and runs right into a man with a drawn sword. He understandably queries the man, "Are you for us or our enemies?" The reply is a wonderful reminder to us. "Neither … but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come."

Joshua needed to look vertically. He needed to remember it's not about people; it's about the Lord. It's always about the Lord. That's what Christians are forgetting in this world of number worship.

We need to remember the numbers God is interested in are not our sales numbers, or our stock portfolio, or the number of people in our Bible studies or churches. What God cares about is the number of people who truly know him through belief in Jesus Christ.

I believe this lesson is the most important thing I've learned from my Bible study yet. God has used decreased attendance to regain my attention, helping me focus on him, not numbers, for answers and guidance.

Numbers don't matter. Our relationship with Christ does.

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