Good can easily become the enemy of the best. The rub is, it's not so easy to know the difference. Fortunately, a band of men once saw this conflict, and wisely resolved it.
The Book of Acts records the phenomenal growth of the first-century church. Along with the rapid growth of the church came burgeoning people needs. In particular, widows who depended on the church for daily meals (this was before the popular "Meals On Wheels" program today). Jesus' original band of apostles provides oversight and leadership for the fledgling church, but its growth threatened its future. Tending to the needs of its membership stretched these men beyond their ability to serve. And so, when the widow's meals on wheels crisis loomed, a meeting was called and a decision made:
"So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, 'It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore,brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.' " (Acts 6.2-4)
Now, it would be easy to label the apostles as arrogant for being too important to tend to menial tasks, like waiting tables. But, the decision was a matter of expediency, not pride. These men had a unique role to fulfill with prayer and the ministry of the word. Others could wait tables, but there were no substitutes for this work by these men. Were they to neglect this foundational work, the entire movement would digress to a socialistic humanitarian program.
There is an important lesson and application here for every follower of Christ. Humble service is vitally important, but not if it supplants the disciplines of prayer and Bible study. The 'good' of service easily becomes the enemy of the 'best' - prayer and Bible study. Fact is, all of these are needed, but in the right priority. The needs of service, prayer, and the ministry of the word led the first century church to an important division of labor. And so it needs to be in our lives: prioritize the key disciplines of prayer and Bible study, and then build service atop these. When there is an imbalance or deficiency in any of these, everything suffers.
Good can easily become the enemy of the best. Are you carefully making the best your highest priority, and fitting in the good around it? May God give you wisdom as you grapple with this key question.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
The Book of Acts records the phenomenal growth of the first-century church. Along with the rapid growth of the church came burgeoning people needs. In particular, widows who depended on the church for daily meals (this was before the popular "Meals On Wheels" program today). Jesus' original band of apostles provides oversight and leadership for the fledgling church, but its growth threatened its future. Tending to the needs of its membership stretched these men beyond their ability to serve. And so, when the widow's meals on wheels crisis loomed, a meeting was called and a decision made:
"So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, 'It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore,brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.' " (Acts 6.2-4)
Now, it would be easy to label the apostles as arrogant for being too important to tend to menial tasks, like waiting tables. But, the decision was a matter of expediency, not pride. These men had a unique role to fulfill with prayer and the ministry of the word. Others could wait tables, but there were no substitutes for this work by these men. Were they to neglect this foundational work, the entire movement would digress to a socialistic humanitarian program.
There is an important lesson and application here for every follower of Christ. Humble service is vitally important, but not if it supplants the disciplines of prayer and Bible study. The 'good' of service easily becomes the enemy of the 'best' - prayer and Bible study. Fact is, all of these are needed, but in the right priority. The needs of service, prayer, and the ministry of the word led the first century church to an important division of labor. And so it needs to be in our lives: prioritize the key disciplines of prayer and Bible study, and then build service atop these. When there is an imbalance or deficiency in any of these, everything suffers.
Good can easily become the enemy of the best. Are you carefully making the best your highest priority, and fitting in the good around it? May God give you wisdom as you grapple with this key question.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
posted by steve @ 8:41 AM
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