CRITIQUE or CONTRIBUTE?

06 Aug 2015

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.4.1″]

Recently, I have been teaching broadly around the need for the church to pursue new frontiers and adopt, what we are calling, ‘the adventurous spirit’. This is in response to what I believe is a level of ‘stuckness’ within the Australian church where we have lost our sense of risk and adventure and limited the church’s capacity to engage in mission on the frontline. Yet as I speak with pastors, many lament that church members become critical when the energy and impetus shifts from those within the church to those ‘not yet’ in God’s kingdom or family. It’s time for this to change.

There have been many times where personally I have found myself critiquing a situation only to realise that my input is not helping.

It is far easier to critique the actions of another, or comment on a new venture from afar, without rolling up one’s sleeves and getting involved. I fear our culture has bred successive generations of critics who like to critique!

If the church is to have any hope of getting back onto the coalface or frontier of ministry, this must be arrested, since we are inadvertently creating discouragement for those seeking to change the world.

So, if I may aptly remind myself and you – if you want to critique anyone, start with yourself. When have you chosen to contribute to a solution rather than define a problem? When have you acted in grace realising that not everyone may be as good as you are at a particular task or project? When have you contributed rather than critiqued?

In many ways I feel this is a timely prophetic word for the church. Let’s pray that God shakes us up so that we make important contributions to the strategic energy of the church, so that the church adopts an adventurous spirit. Personally I have discovered this is the place where one experiences the most hope and joy.

May the Kingdom advance because of our contributions serving God.

Blessings
Andrew Ball

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]