Icky

That’s the feeling I get when I think about the Church and marketing. There is no doubt I prefer George Müller’s approach to finances, ask God to provide and trust that he will. I fear we’ve lost that kind of faith.

First of all, I believe churches, for the most part, have good intentions. We all want to grow in order do more, to reach more with the gospel, to rescue people, to feed the hungry, to make the world a better place. Love God, love people. That’s all good. The problem enters in when churches compete with one another rather than cooperate. We all preach unity, but we live something else. It is as if we believe we have to win some race in order to obtain as much as we can of a finite amount of tithe money that exists in the world. Where are our good intentions now? Where is our willingness to trust God to move within, to provide for, and to grow our ministry as he sees fit, according to his timeline?

This is a big deal, but it’s not a hopeless situation. You can right the ship. Lead us back to the joy found in the unpredictable nature of genuine faith. Lead us to tune our ears to God’s voice and move only when he moves us. Lead us to believe again in Jehovah Jireh, our provider. Lead us to stop competing and join forces with all believers to grow the Kingdom of God. Lead us to surrender our might for the sake of our mission. Fear, doubt, and insecurity drive a competitive spirit. God is calling us to stop striving in our own strength and to lay down the things of this world, so that we can grow our faith as we trust him completely.

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