4. Your “Needs “Aren’t Usually Needs
To be fair, we all have a few basic needs. A church should be biblically faithful. It should be reasonably healthy. And it should focus on the true mission of the church, which is to make disciples (not just be disciples but make disciples, which means reaching out).
When someone says that a church doesn’t meet their needs, what they usually mean is a church doesn’t suit their preferences.
When you drill down, ‘needs’ often means:
Is this my kind of music?
Did the people notice me?
Do I like this place?
A lot of Christians these days ask, “Did I like it?” And the moment they don’t, they’re done. When no church meets your needs, maybe you should check your ‘needs.’
If you really boil it down, because of the rise of consumer Christianity, too many church members think their mission is to criticize. A church member’s mission isn’t to criticize. It’s to contribute. Criticizing has never been the Gospel. And that’s never the best contribution we can make.
5. Your Needs Are Never Satisfied
Needs are like appetites. They grow when you feed them. You probably already know this, but if you’re always trying to satisfy your needs, you’ll never be satisfied.
We all roll our eyes at the guy who ‘needs’ a new car, or a new computer, or a vacation, or a new phone when he pretty much has the latest (OK…confession…I can be that guy when it comes to tech…).
The truth? Those aren’t needs. But that’s the problem with what we call needs. They’re never completely satisfied.
So What Should You Do?
So what should you do if you feel your current church doesn’t ‘meet your needs’? Maybe the best thing you can do is focus on the mission God has given you. Which happens to look an awful lot like the mission God gave all of us: to love the world for which he died.
Chances are there’s a pastor who loves that mission, and maybe some other Christians in your church who are committed to that mission too.
And if you give your life to it, you’ll discover your needs don’t matter nearly as much as they once did. In fact, you might even find them satisfied.
If you take your eyes off what you want and begin to see what other people truly need, it will change how you live.
Want 2017 to Be a Better Year? Get on the Wait List!
The final New Year release for The High Impact Leader online course opens January 16, 2017. The High Impact leader course is all about getting time, energy and priorities working in your favor.
It’s a 10-part, online course designed to increase your personal productivity so you can get your life back and your leadership back.
Mark your calendar for January 16, and join the wait list now by filling out the form below to be the first one in as soon as the course opens.
What About You?
What are you discovering in the quest for churches to meet a member’s need?
