25 Jan Who’s Counting? by Pastor Joe Cameneti
Who’s Counting?
Pastor Joe Cameneti
Ministry is a funny thing. We’re called to add to God’s kingdom and decrease in the process (John 3:30). We’re asked to deliver riveting messages from the stage and deflect all of the praises. It’s almost like we’re called to be “visibly invisible.”
And in a culture that counts and “likes,” and… reposts… EVERYTHING. This is quickly becoming one of the biggest challenges of our time. I would limit this to millenials, but I am increasingly discovering that this is an issue for people who have been in ministry for decades. “Who’s watching me?” “What are they saying?” “How am I stacking up?” “Who has more than I do?” “Who has less?” And on and on it goes…
We don’t mean to do it, but it’s so easy to ride the carousel of comparison. Whether its “church stalking” another ministry in town through social media, stumbling onto a “humble brag” from a mega church pastor, or a sincere member asking if you’ve “ever heard of (fill in the blank with a super hip speaker of your choice) right after you’ve just delivered the message of the century! No leader in ministry is exempt.
And, although this issue has reached a fever pitch in recent years, it certainly isn’t new.
In 1 Chronicles 21:1, we read that, “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census.“
That’s all the nudging David needed. He went to Joab and said, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
Joab begged David not to do it. He reminded him that God had commanded against this. But Dave wasn’t budging. He HAD to know. It must have felt a lot like the awkward adrenaline rush we can get when we chronically click refresh on our social media feed. Or maybe it was similar to keeping track of how many times I heard “Great message today, Pastor!” in the lobby last weekend.
Something about knowing how many men were at his command, how big HIS kingdom was, drove him to disobedience. And it resulted in God lifting His hand off of David, and some other not so pretty things (See 1 Chronicles 21:10).
Comparison ALWAYS leads to pride or insecurity. And you can’t spell either without “I.” This is an “I” problem, and only I can fix it.
James 4:6 tells us, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” If you’re struggling with comparison, this is always a healthy verse to consider.
God measures ministry success by a different ruler. Don’t get me wrong. He loves salvations, and He loves when we grow His church. But, after 31 years of ministry, I’m convinced that God isn’t driven by fast growth and sexy stats. He would rather grow healthy people, who can in turn grow healthy churches.
There’s counting because you care (lost sheep), and then, there’s counting to compare.
A few questions to ask:
How often do I check my social media feeds every day?
What are my motivations in each of my posts?
How much time have I spent worrying about someone else’s ministry, gifts or callings? (and missed out on developing my own)
Am I ok with not being the biggest ministry in town? In my region?
Over the years, the thing that has helped me most is to realize that one day God will not judge my ministry based on the talents or abilities of others. He’ll judge me based on what I did with what I had. He’ll count the moments of obedience. He’ll count the moments of faithfulness.
When I see it from His perspective. Ministry regains it meaning! And I know I can always count on God to give me grace as I humbly work through all of my inadequacies.
Joseph Cameneti
Believers Church
Warren, Ohio
www.believers.cc