progress

The whole thing this blog is about is "seeing new." It's about the ways in which we view the world differently now that we have Christ, compared to the way that we viewed the world before we have Christ. I have been blown away recently by the realization that the Spirit of God changes everything. Absolutely everything. There is really not a perception or conception that should not be changed post-encounter with the Holy Spirit.

And more than that, he changes how we look at progress. Progress, without the Holy Spirit, is moving forward on our own agenda. And so, in a ministry setting (that's the one I'm familar with!) progress might look like more numbers, higher production value, more depth in teaching, higher degrees of discipleship, etc. Progress, apart from the Holy Spirit, soley takes the role of quantifiable markers of change toward a predecided end.

These things are not bad. And post-Holy Spirit, they're not markers of lack of progress. I'm never going to naturally assume I'm failing at youth ministry if more and more students start showing up. In many cases, they are still a sign of progress. But they're no longer the defining factor of progress.

The hard thing about ministry, and about life post-Spirit, is that progress is now defined as, rather than quantifiable change, spiritual change in accordance with the Spirit's will. That might mean today, that might mean a thousand years from now. Maybe, now that we understand a little more about how God works, maybe it's Gods full, complete and good will for my life that something I say in passing be engrained in some students mind, that she grow up, pass that on to her children, who pass it on to theirs, so on and so forth, until hundreds of years from now, that comment blesses someones life in a unique and powerful way which brings much glory to God. If that's his will, then that's progress.

Yikes.

Suddenly, we're reminded that at Youth Group, or as we engage in ministry, we cannot guague our level of progress. That's the Holy Spirit's realm. And ultimately, any progress that occures isn't even our doing, since this Christianity stuff really makes no sense without the Spirit.

And that's where we're left with faithfulness. Faithfulness needs to be the factor by which we guage our lives as Christians as good, or bad. Not progress. We can quantifiably characterize a pastor who was used by God to bring souls to Him, but then cheats on his wife as progressive, but it is not faithful. Likewise, we might not quantify an elderly women who prays for her neighbor day in and day out only to see her neighbor die without coming to know the Lord as progressive, but we do label it as faithful.

And there is such an essential distinction. I desire so much to live a faithful life, and not a progressive life. I desire to view progress as a result of the Holy Spirit, and as a tool of the Holy Spirit alone. 

Does that make sense? It was off the top of my head.