Numbers Mean Success and Blessings?
“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure”
– Goodhart’s Law –
Living in a Swirl of Measure and Target
Human life is filled with the process of “measuring”. Measuring the extent of achievement, how much income, how smart thinking. The greater and higher the achievement of man and what he achieves or has, the greater the respect he gets. Everywhere we hear jargon everyone has to achieve as much as possible, as high as possible. Those who are unable to achieve it will lose the respect of their fellows. The more a person gets results or amounts far from the highest standards and goals created by humans, the less respect he gets. From this understanding, many people try hard, vying to meet these measures and targets. Not a few are then tempted to do everything possible to achieve it. Therefore, we are no longer surprised when we hear news about acts of tripping and bringing down each other in tough competition, people committing fraud and corruption, and even people who have the heart to hurt fellow human beings and fellow creatures of Allah (exploiting the earth) just because of measure and target. Measures and targets in my view are needed to carry out the process of self-evaluation and improvement. We can be amazed and inspired by the achievements of someone who is done with hard work and honesty. We also have to work hard and be honest in our endeavors, but there is no need to feel guilty when we may not have achieved our best so we avoid the attitude of making achieving measurements and targets the only goal in life. It is true the meaning of Goodhart’s words quoted by Chivers above (Chivers, Chapter 22) when life is only a measure and a target, then it can no longer be said to be a good thing, or what is more extreme, it will bring bad things.
Measures and Targets in Christianity
Christianity and the church are communities that are not free from the influence of ideas about measure and targets. The question of what measure to say a church is “successful” or “blessed” is often associated only with numbers such as the increase in the number of church members, the number of offerings and church finances, and the number of assets owned by the church. A church is also called successful when it has all the classification numbers above with the highest number compared to other churches. If only numbers are used as a measure of success and blessings in a church, it can make church servants, pastors only focus on numbers (quantity) but very likely ignore the quality (quality) such as spirituality, love, witnessing, and sharing life. The church can be trapped to only pay attention to those who are rich and have positions but ignore the teachings of Jesus to also reach out to those who are poor and suffering. Therefore, when we are in a Christian community that emphasizes target, measure and then makes every effort to achieve it (including ignoring the teachings of Christ), it is appropriate for us to ask reflective questions such as those raised by Chivers: is this a big number? (Chivers, Chapter 9). Or you can reflect even more deeply, is the large number in the church God’s will? Or we can also ask, is God only pleased with large numbers?
Life and Ministry Are Not Just Numbers
Reading Chivers’ writings brings us to enlightenment to think that our lives and ministry as Christians are not just numbers, measurements, targets, rankings, and so on. That doesn’t mean we can’t use numbers. But now we are invited to read numbers from a different perspective. Putting numbers in their proper context will help us understand why some numbers were written and presented (Chivers, Conclusion Chapter).
Bible Stories and Numbers
In the Bible, numbers are also mentioned. For example, in the book of Numbers, numbers are used to determine the number of Israelites. But the stories in the Bible also show clearly that even though God uses numbers, we are invited to realize that the main point is not the number but the divine love and power that He has and He shares and expresses concerning humans. The story of the Israelites against the Midianites under Gideon’s leadership in the book of Judges 7:1-25 shows clearly that God chose only three hundred people out of thousands who were with Gideon at that time. With far fewer people than before, God gave victory to His people against a great and powerful nation. Then, another story is found in Matthew 18:12-14, namely the parable of the lost sheep. Even if only one sheep is lost, the shepherd will leave the other ninety-nine to search for and save that one lost sheep.
Conclusion
Reading and understanding numbers differently will lead us to an attitude of respect for humans and all of creation because our perspective will no longer see and judge them only as numbers, measures, and targets. Reading and understanding numbers with a new perspective open up opportunities for an atmosphere of life where mutual respect, embracing diversity, and compassion for those who suffer, liberate all creation that is oppressed and exploited.
About the Author
Dinka Utomo
Dinka Nehemia Utomo is an ordained pastor of the Protestant Church in the Western part of Indonesia (Gereja Protestan di Indonesia bagian Barat or GPIB). He has served for more than 15 years. The first five years of his ministry were in the remote area of East Kalimantan, including people from the indigenous Dayak tribe in the small villages in the middle of the forest, frequently reached using small boats down the river. For more than 15 years, Dinka has served several GPIB congregations in several cities in Indonesia. He has always had a passion for equipping Christian families, teaching and guiding them to build equal relations between husband and wife, maintaining commitment, love, and loyalty, creating a healthy and constructive Christian family atmosphere, and rejecting all forms of violence and sexual violence. Dinka's beloved wife, Verra, is also a GPIB pastor. They have two blessed children. Dinka and his wife and children love to spend quality family time, such as lunch or dinner, and vacation to exotic places.12 responses to “Numbers Mean Success and Blessings?”
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Reading through your post is making about a dozen light bulbs go off in my brain. As you say, God uses numbers but often very differently than the world does. We shouldn’t be surprised; He says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways.” (Isaiah 55:8). You mention the great examples of Gideon and also the parable of the lost sheep. I also thought of the account in 2 Samuel 24 where David sins by taking a census of the people, presumably trusting in his military strength rather than God. (Yet another number – 70,000 – that’s the number of people who died as a result of David’s sin!) I won’t ask you directly, but I’m sure we can all think of times when we’ve prioritized the numbers or the “results” too much, forgetting to trust in God.
Thank you for the affirmation, Kim!
Chivers helped me to understand the Bible more deeply concerning numbers. God values every number, both small and large. Every number is indeed significant and has meaning, therefore we have to understand what is behind a number.
It’s so important for us to remember that while numbers may be important, that they are only important in that each number represents a real person. When they become simply abstract and important in themselves, we can too easily forget the value of each one; that a congregation isn’t just a crowd, but a collection of individuals Jesus loves and died for. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement, Dinka.
Absolutely, Tim!
Everyone is precious in God’s eyes.
I really enjoyed your post. I love the idea of looking at numbers through the lens of measuring success through blessings. Moving beyond the amount that a person financially gives, or how many people attend service, but measuring impact through Blessings. Such a refreshing perspective.
Thank you, Jonita!
Chivers helped me how to look beyond the “earthly” measures.
Hey Dinka, as usual you got me searching inward! After just reading your first few lines, I thought, “How do I measure success? why do I even measure success? Am I putting unnecessary pressure on myself by measuring something God doesn’t want me to measure? Is my measuring causing pride?”
And as you mentioned at the end, do I have a greater respect for humans because I am using numbers with integrity? Thank you Dinka!
Hi Todd!
I think we have to apply it in our ministry context.
Blessings!
Hello Mr. Dinka, you reminded me of two concepts. First, the confident in numbering which was in the Old Testament. When King David ordered the counting of his soldiers “maybe” so he could depend on his soldiers. The other one is what the apostle Paul said, “forgetting what he had attain, but keep reaching forward. Thank you for your post.
You are welcome, Mr. Noel!
Dinka, I love what you wrote and how numbers can be so crucial in a church setting and yet, it’s not everything. You said “Christians are not just numbers, measurements, targets, rankings, and so on.” How do you sit in budget meetings and balance these things out? I’m curious as Bishop of a number of churches how you find that balance? I pastored a dying church that increased in number of people, but they were all new to the faith and understanding tithing was not part of it in time to save the church. In some good ways, the denomination sold the building and that money went to plant new churches, but wasn’t enough. How have you worked through this with some of your struggling churches and how do you talk about it with those that are “blessed” by the numbers? As always, praying for your ministry!
Hi Jana!
Thank you for your comment.
In our ministry context, visiting congregation members at their homes is essential to building a vibrant community. During these visits, pastors and elders discuss life, read the Bible, and pray together, giving support and encouragement.
Since the Triune God is relational, the church should reflect that by fostering sincere and vibrant relationships. Pastors and ministers play a crucial role in building a sense of belonging and a second home for the church member. As the church grows, additional pastors and ministers who share the same vision may be needed.