It’s Monday. The day after the biggest day of the year for those of us who are followers of Christ. Amazing things happened in our churches, attendance was off the charts, you were pumped and more excited than you were the night before Christmas when Santa was coming… Then Monday happened. Then social media captured your attention and all that joy and all that excitement began to fade.
So what happened? Comparison happened. Discouragement began to happen. Some pastors even struggle with depression more after Easter than any other time of the year. I know, I have been there.
We start looking at XYZ Church and our friend Pastor X who had 1,200,890,392 in attendance and 239,987 salvations and we begin to sink into disappointment because we only had X number in attendance and X number of salvations. (a little overstatement I know, but you get the point).
A word of encouragement… Dare today to not Compare with Yesterday. Dare today to not compare with XYZ Church or Pastor X. Your numbers are significant because people heard The Gospel and people’s lives were changed! Whether it was 1 decision to follow Jesus or 10,000, it is significant in the eyes of our Risen Savior!
Stay out of the low place of insignificance that you have placed yourself in and stand tall in the place of magnificence that The Lord placed you in to make a difference for HIS NAME sake!
I can say this because I have been there. I struggled with my biggest bouts of depression after Easter services because I went online and did the above things. I dont do that anymore. I am very careful to even look at the numbers that people post. In fact, at the church I pastor, Oasis Church, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we dont post attendance or salvation counts anymore after Easter. We don’t feel the need to do so. Do we know internally? Yes. Do we condemn or downplay the ones that do? No. It is just our conviction. Did we have a significant weekend? Yes. Jesus still transforms lives and the greatest harvest of the year happens on Easter weekend every year! Let’s not get puffed up or caught up in the numbers from the weekend, let’s continue to navigate reaching the ones who weren’t reached this past weekend as we look to the future starting with Next Sunday!
Pastor, church leader, you are significant and you are doing the work where The Lord placed you. Be faithful where you are and continue to do as He leads in your city or region. Greater will be your reward if you remain faithful with what He has given!
Be blessed, and Happy Day after!
Eric Camp for MS House District 111 