Wisdom From Tim Keller On Church Planting
I found this article terribly compelling (thanks to Daniel Eng for the heads up) – especially the following snippet – this has everything to do with defining * success * in church, or entrepreneurship, or just plain life:
“The difference between a solid church and a terrible church is pretty much up to you,” he tells one group. “The difference between a solid church and incredible success has almost nothing to do with you at all. It’s like you are out there paddling on your surfboard, and suddenly the wave comes and you ride in, standing up like you’re a Greek god. That has everything to do with the wave.”
I’ve observed people who’ve experienced fantastic success in their lives, from YWAM’s founder Loren Cunningham, to a man I know, David Ross who has been called one of the top 3 influential men for Christianity in Korea since the latter half of the 20th century. I’ve wondered what the formula was, what was the secret elixir they drank every night – and you know what? They just got lucky. Lightning doesn’t strike everybody, no matter how much one goes outdoors chasing after it.
Indeed – how much of it is luck, or how much of it is simply knowing where to look for the so-called “big” waves?
I wouldn’t call it luck, but grace. Even the pillars of success from the Bible, such as Joseph and Daniel, credited their success, their wisdom, to God. Of course, there are things we can and should do to help pave the way for success, but those things pretty much boil down to obedience to God.
‘Obedience to God’ can always be ‘unpacked’ to show exactly what it means, but that’s basically all that we’re called to do. It is up to God then to grant success and to us to ascribe credit to Him.
so so so true. thanks for the blog. Great reminder
I heard recently that Christianity started in the middle east as an encounter. With Greeks it became philosophy. With Rome it became an institution. With Reformers it became doctrine. With America, it became enterprise.
So stinkin true.
Maybe the problem is we in America are too busy looking for the so-called “big waves” and running around trying to get ourselves struck by lightning. (I’m not exempt).
Wayne, there’s an interesting book on success called Outliers, written by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s a secular book, certainly, but the views on the nature of outstanding success and how it comes about is generally applicable, I think.
One of the arguments he makes is that success-outstanding, earth-changing success-is largely based on good fortune, i.e., when a person was born, even down to month, in some respects, a person’s cultural heritage, and other factors. I would say it’s not “good fortune”, as such, but God’s grace and providence, but the analysis of the causes of success in this book generally hits the mark.
I call it that too: Providence
and what Keller refers to as “the wave”. (which happens to sound so much like YWAM talk).
Hope you guys are well. We should catch up soon here…