Page 2 of 2Gaining 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.
Copyright © 2009 by the author and Christianity Today
