I’ve been asked to review Transformational Churches by Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer. It’s laying on my desk, and I plan to work through it this morning, but before I do, I’ve been struck by the subtitle: Creating a New Scorecard for Congregations.
I’ve got some ideas about what Stetzer and Rainer may recommend, but that’s not what’s really struck me. Instead, it caused me to think briefly about what my scorecard is personally. As a believer, I believe we need constantly to be checking ourselves, and the only way we can truly check ourselves is to have an idea about the things that matter. For me, I’ve been re-thinking a lot of that lately.
Sure, there are the obvious things, my relationship with the Lord matters, my wife and kids are a top priority, and I’m dedicated to Malvern Hill and to my PhD work. However, those things are really broad categories. I’ve recently begun asking how I best “score” my walk with the Lord and my time with my family, for instance.
If I’m only keeping track of the time and the duties, then I check off my quiet time, my journaling, and some time in prayer. I then move on to check off taking out the garbage, kissing my wife, and telling my kids I love them repeatedly as I spend time with them. However, if I really think about it, I recognize that I can do all of the things mentioned above and be completely disassociated.
My scorecard is changing. I’ve begun asking myself not, if I’ve spent time with my wife, but if my wife has felt loved, encouraged, and appreciated in the time I’ve spent with her. I’ve asked whether or not my kids are growing in love and grace because of time with their daddy and if they are learning the things from me that they need to learn.
I’ve also begun asking the questions not only of how much time I’m spending with Jesus, but how much time I’m spending doing what Jesus said. I’ve become much more dedicated to evangelism and spending time with lost people as a result of this. My efforts in the church have become more focused on discipleship and seeing others grow in the Lord. In theological terms, I’ve become very concerned with orthopraxy as well as orthodoxy. This is revolutionizing my life.
Even in the mundane things of life, I’m no longer focusing on the amount of time I spend in my office, but rather on the things I accomplish in the time I spend in my office. I’m sure some of you have considered all of these things long before they dawned on me, but for the rest of you, be encouraged, you too can change!
