There’s another false signal of growth: being busy at church.
Attend every service. Join three ministries. Serve at VBS, lead a small group, volunteer for setup, tear down, and everything in between.
And again—we do want people to be active.
We want people to serve. We want them to obey the command to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25). We want to see every member of the body
of Christ using their gifts. We believe that engagement in Christian community is vital to spiritual growth.
But here’s the caution: it’s possible to do all those things and not grow an inch.
Activity does not automatically equal intimacy.
The Reveal study from Willow Creek stunned the evangelical world when it showed that some of the most active church members—those involved in programs and serving weekly—described themselves as stalled in their spiritual lives. They were
doing more, but becoming less like Jesus.
Jesus’ words to Martha echo here:
“You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” —Luke 10:41–42
Busyness can be a substitute for abiding. And when we substitute doing for becoming, we miss the heart of discipleship.
B. Serving Without Fruit
We have seen this firsthand: leaders who serve faithfully but remain angry, impatient, or self-important. Volunteers who are always present but rarely
joyful. Churches full of programs but short on spiritual depth.
Paul says,
“If I give all I possess to the poor…but do not have love, I gain nothing.” —1 Corinthians 13:3
