We don’t measure the things that matter.
We measure the things we manage.
One of the unquestioned premises of church leadership is that when something matters to us, we measure it. So we count things like church attendance in an attempt to measure a church’s health, strength, and impact.
The idea of counting the things that matter makes sense – if you’re an accountant or a manager.
But it wouldn’t be accepted by any artists or prophets.
For instance, how do we measure art?
- By audience? If so, Baby Shark, with over 17 billion YouTube views, is the greatest video of all time.
- Sales? That makes Thomas Kinkaid a greater painter than Gaugin, Matisse, and Renoir combined.
- Size? So tiny Mona Lisa is of less artistic merit than the banners made by a high school pep team?
Measurement and the False Perception of Control
We need to measure what we can manage – money, facilities, schedules, and the like. That’s good stewardship. But let’s not fall into the trap of thinking we have more control than we do.
The most important things in life – art, beauty, love, and salvation – are immeasurable.
Plus, Jesus never used any term that even comes close to the word “metrics.” Yes, he told parables about turning small numbers into larger numbers and he ministered to some large crowds. And someone counted those crowds. That all involves metrics.
But it wasn’t Jesus who measured the crowds because whoever did only counted the men. So if we measure what matters… [Ouch!]
Why We Can’t Measure What Really Matters
Jesus told us that our ideas about what’s important to measure are often wrong – like counting only the men. According to him, the humble will be exalted, the weak will be strong, the widow’s mite is the biggest offering of all, and women and children count, even to people who don’t count them.
So let’s count what can be counted, manage what we can manage, and measure what needs to be measured. That gives us a baseline of competence upon which great things can be built.
But let’s not be deluded into believing that measuring gives us the ability to move anything that matters.
If we measure what we manage, may God give us the joy of an unmanageable, uncontrollable outbreak of joy, ministry, salvation, and wonder.
(Photo by Henry Söderlund | Flickr)
