WHERE IS YOUR CHURCH? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE AM I?
by Dr. Glenn Mathews
About a half an eon ago, when I worked for the West Virginia Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, I took several courses in Counseling, Deafness, Psychiatric Rehab, etc. The textbook of one course dealt with “The Psychology of Careers.” Although I have long since lost that book, I can remember that a professor in Teachers College at Columbia University wrote it. In that book, the author profiled the average vocational career of the average person. While I cannot be precise, (my memory is still good, but my ‘forgettory” is improving with age), I remember enough to share these thoughts with you and to make comparison of the secular working world with the SPIRITUAL LIFE of the average church and/or Christian.
As a youth, a person begins his vocational life with EXPLORATION. He/she takes what is available, e.g., cutting grass, delivering papers, baby-sitting, part-time at a store, etc. By the time of high school graduation, a person has decided on what direction to pursue. If the CHOICE requires specific training, then the person goes into college, technical school or serves an apprenticeship. Once the chosen direction is determined, the person gets started in that career field. Eventually, ESTABLISHMENT is morphed into ADVANCEMENT. Improved skills and dedicated efforts result in what is often called “moving up the corporate ladder.” Those years are generally before age 45. Around that time, the average person realizes that they will not advance much higher, and so they unconsciously move into what is called the MAINTENANCE mode. As the person’s interest and efforts begin to wane and they experience DECLINE. Finally, there is RETIREMENT. When a person is in either the maintenance or decline mode, they tend to become protective of their position. They resist any changes that they perceive as a threat to their security. In short, they don’t want to make waves – or have anyone else make waves!
The parallel between vocation and spiritual life ought to be coming into focus. We begin the new spiritual life with a great burst of enthusiasm and expectation. I remember hearing one new convert pray “Lord I want to be the best Christian that there ever was.” Sadly, he never became that person – in fact, he dropped out of church within a few weeks. Whether or not he was genuinely born again is not the subject for this article. The average church starts with rapid growth in the first few weeks and months. The same is true of the average new convert. They eagerly EXPLORE areas of Christian service. Usually, within a short period of time, they ADVANCE and become involved in some kind of ministry, e.g., choir, Sunday school, youth or visitation programs. Over time, the emotional aspect of their Christian life subsides, and they, without being aware of it, move into MAINTENANCE. There are many such Churches and individuals who are not thriving but are merely maintaining. Even worse, many are in decline. Eventually, there is retirement– and we know what follows that is death.
Take time to evaluate your local church and your own spiritual life. Are you advancing? Maintaining? Declining? Have you retired? Perhaps I will write more along this line at a later date. Right now, I must stop and take inventory of my own life and ministry. I want to do what Paul said he did in Philippians 3:13,14. I hope you will do the same.