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PART ONE
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A CHRISTIAN
The word “effective” can have many meanings. Webster’s dictionary defines effectiveness as “producing, or capable of producing, a decided, decisive, or desired effect.” In the business world, effectiveness is often defined as “doing whatever it takes to get the job done,” which sometimes results in strong-arm or under-handed tactics. No wonder that the word “effective” is not generally thought of a having a Christian application. And yet, wouldn’t any Christian want to “produce a desired effect”? God created us not only to make a difference in the world, but to make the world different. Doesn’t that imply “producing a desired effect”?
In the best sense of the word, being effective means doing the “right” things at the right time. The right things are those which contribute to meeting the goals of the individual or the organization. It is concerned primarily with setting priorities, and doing first things first.
To be effective as a Christian, the first thing we need to know is our primary goal. Then we will want to know how this goal can be attained. The Bible provides answers to these questions. We can also gain insight by examining the lives of Christians who were extraordinary for their influence on Christianity.
What Is the Primary Goal of a Christian? In broad perspective, the Bible is a divine revelation to the world. Its central thesis is that God has penetrated human history in the person of Jesus Christ, thereby communicating to us what God is like and what He expects of us. It reveals that God desires to reconcile the world to Himself, and to establish His Kingdom on earth. He is working continually in history with, and for, His people to bring about His kingdom.
In the Book of Genesis we are told that God created mankind for fellowship with Himself. God has revealed Himself to us because He wants to establish a relationship with us. He wants each of us to become partners with Him as He brings His goals to fruition.
The book of Genesis speaks of beginnings. We see how, step-by-step God created the Universe—first light (energy), then the physical world and the heavenly bodies, then the vegetable world, and the seasons, and on and on it goes. God created the lower animals, the higher animals, and finally He created man “in his own image.” This was the climax, and certainly the riskiest step in God’s creation adventure.
Genesis is also a book of relationships, highlighting especially those relationships between God and man. In the biblical account, God said to the first human couple, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28). In effect, these words tell us that God is sharing his sovereignty over nature with man.
Genesis introduces us to the way God initiates covenants with His people, pledging His faithfulness to them, and calling them to pledge their faithfulness to Him. God stands ready to enter into covenant with every person—even those in the most humble of circumstances.
By His example, Jesus demonstrated a covenant relationship with His Father. Relationship was the key ingredient to this covenant. Jesus said: “Now this is eternal life: that they might know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3, NIV). Jesus had an intimate relationship with His Father.
Our primary goal should be to establish a partnership with God, in which He is the Senior Partner and each of us is a junior partner. In view of the fact that no relationship can remain static, our goal should be to establish an ever-growing partnership with God. Jesus taught and demonstrated how this partnership should work. He said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17 NIV). Jesus’ justification for His actions was His close relationship to His Father.
Some Misconceptions Some Christians seem to think that our primary goal is to get to Heaven. They never get beyond the commitment/ conversion experience—which is just the beginning of our Christian walk. Our mission is to witness as we serve. If we maintain a close relationship with God, we will reflect His love to others. In so doing, we will witness to God’s power and presence in the world. The Christian life is not a destination; it is a journey. How can God use us if our only goal is to get to Heaven?
Someone might suggest that the primary goal of a Christian is “to do the will of God.” Properly interpreted, this goal is correct. But a review of church history reminds us that:
· The first-century religious leaders in Jerusalem sincerely thought they were doing God’s will when they tried to wipe out Christianity by killing the Christians. · Christians have fought wars, and murdered innocent people over what they strongly felt was the will of God. · Church denominations, and even factions within denominations, have fought—and are still fighting—each other, with the conviction that they are doing the will of God.
Are any of the above truly the will of God? The problem with the goal “to do the will of God” is that it easily can be subordinated to what humans want to do. Unless what we call “the will of God” is compatible with the teachings of Jesus—unless it conforms to the law of love—it is not the will of God; it is the will of man.
Some Christians seem to believe that a major Christian goal is to adhere to a code of strict ethics and personal behavior. This misconception has existed in Christian circles since the time of the early Church. The Apostle Paul reminded the Galatians that a gospel which mixes rules and God’s grace has no power. Perhaps the most unfortunate result of this misconception is that non-Christians get the wrong impressions of what Christianity is all about, and understandably are turned off by it. Those who mix rules with grace should take to heart a statement by Billy Graham: “To be a Christian is not a pious pose. It is not a long list of restrictions. Christianity flings open the windows to the real joy of living.” The source of the joy is our relationship with God.
OUR PRIMARY GOAL AS CHRISTIANS IS TO ESTABLISH AN EVER-GROWING PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD
Establishing a partnership with God is the essence of what it means to be effective as a Christian. We should think of our partnership with God as an adventure—an adventure directed by God. In Part Two, we will examine some key effectiveness factors for attaining our primary goal.
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