2-5-04
What preacher wants a Godly, tithing, worshipful, open congregation more than a back-biting,
4% giving, once-a-week attending congregation? Any preacher. Well, add a factor: the
"good" church has almost every member there every service but there are 50 members. The
"bad" church has about half its members in attendance once a week but there are 1500
members. As long as I don't have to make the choice I am certain what my choice would be.
In my experience, God's career track for ministers has almost 100% of the time been upward
in church size and salary for those seen as good at the craft. Just God's blessing on His man.
Perhaps, but perhaps man sometimes sets his own career path based on his own desires.
What about other professions - it is just normative for everyone else to do whatever he has to
do to make more money and increase prestige. Leaving the morality of various career choices
completely aside, does God always want us to do better in just these measures, or would he
like us to seriously consult Him for guidance? Many Christians pray for guidance, but they
never really intend to hear from God - their intention is more to invoke God as insurance or
an extra boost.
All that to say this: Christians from preachers to lay folk don't really want to hear from God as
to every day decisions. When we ask God with no intention of paying attention to Him unless
we like what He says or it agrees with what appears to be the most practical answer we are not
likely to hear from Him at all - at least not in the way we plan. Worse than that hardness of
hearing,spiritually speaking, will lead to hardness of heart.
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