Ask anyone and they will probably tell you that church growth is moving upward.  No church is considered growing (and rightfully so) if attendance is dropping and no forward movement is taking place.  Shortly after I graduated from Bible college I had an elder from the church I was serving at the time tell me that success is moving forward, of taking steps to move upward and not backward.  “Make sure each step, each job you take, is an advancement.”  His advice stuck with me for all the wrong reasons.  You see…if I had taken his advice to heart (which I did for awhile) I would have then and would now still consider myself a failure.  Most pastors don’t get on a fast track to success and certainly can’t guarantee that each successive move professionally will be to a bigger church or a more “alive” church, or whatever else you may deem successful.  Sometimes there are those who labor in isolation or in small churches for many different reasons.  I have to admit that there have been times I have said, “God, why not me?”  Am I wrong to say that or a heretic to even ask that?  Well, you can be the judge.

Sometimes though leadership is moving downward.  This morning I spoke about John the Baptizer and as I was preparing and then studying on Saturday and again this morning it hit me over and over how much John was not interested in the limelight.  In John 3 when his followers were hounding him and complaining that people were flocking to Jesus, John’s classic words ring out loud and clear:  “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Another translation puts it this way:  “He must become greater, I must become less.” So much for moving up the ladder.  Seems to me that the way to “move up” is actually to move down.   I don’t think God is against people desiring better but I do believe He is more interested in me promoting Him than of me promoting me.  John said that he was so humbled by being in the presence of Jesus that he could not even carry the sandals of Jesus. Now that is humility!! Do I have it?  Honestly?  No.

Moving upward is really moving downward.  For years, I bemoaned the fact that I was not climbing the ladder.  Now I am glad I didn’t.  I could not have handled it.  It may never happen (time is growing short when you reach the 57 age) 🙂 but if it does, I pray I am ready.  If not, I pray I am ready.  Ready to move downward to push Him upward. (BTW: I am not bucking to leave). Do you have any thoughts you would like to share?