What is Spiritual Effectiveness?
AN EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN KNOWS HOW TO GET RESULTS THROUGH SPIRITUAL MEANS.
To determine if someone is effective, we must first understand what effective means.
Effective means “successful in producing a desired or intended result.”
- producing a decided, decisive, or desired effect. - Merriam-Webster Dictionary
- producing the result that is wanted or intended; producing a successful result. - Oxford Learner's Dictionary
- producing a result that is wanted : having an intended effect. - Britannica Dictionary
- producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect. - Vocabulary.com
I don’t think many Christians have asked themselves if they are spiritually effective.
This isn’t to say they don’t know how to “live a good life,” “treat others the way you want to be treated,” “share the gospel with the lost,” “serve at church,” or “give to charitable organizations.”
These are all noble pursuits, and I could list many more barometers by which one might determine if they are a “good” Christian. But none of these mean you are Spiritually Effective.
Spiritual Effectiveness means one is “successful in producing a desired or intended result” through SPIRITUAL means.
Take a look at the verse below. Jesus said this.
WHATEVER you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
- John 16:23 BSB
What if that were true in YOUR life? What if you could ask WHATEVER you needed or wanted, and God would answer your prayer?
How would your life be different?
- Would your health change?
- Would your relationships at home and work change?
- Would your finances change?
- Would your ability to help others change?
Sadly, most churches will tell you God doesn’t do what Jesus clearly stated. They’ve watered down God’s ability and placed so many rules and regulations around His promises that no one can be good enough to enjoy the ability to receive WHATEVER is asked for.
As a world-renowned astrophysicist said, when asked why he no longer attended church, “The God they preach is too small.”
Even churches espousing a miracle-working God are filled with people requesting prayer over and over for the same issues that never get resolved.
This is Reality
People are looking for a big God. They’re looking for a God who can actually do things. They’re looking for a God who answers prayer. They’re looking for a God who can provide answers to difficult questions. They’re looking for a God they can depend on to do what He said He would do in His Word.
And they’re having difficulty finding Christians demonstrating that they know a God who can turn situations around.
What they find, instead, are Christians who live paycheck to paycheck, who suffer cycles of sickness that they can’t shake, and who get SOME of their prayers answered, but not ALL of them.
They find empathetic Christians who can identify with the trials they’re going through but have no spiritual ability to get answers from God that will rectify those situations.
And Jesus expects His followers to learn to get results.
- In the parable of the sower, the farmer expected results. He envisioned a harvest. He expected an increase from his investment.
- In the parable of the talents, the Master wanted his servants to produce a profit.
- When Jesus stood in the boat and calmed the wind and the waves, he turned to the disciples and asked, "Where is YOUR faith?"
- When the disciples failed to cast a demon out of a boy, they asked why. Jesus responded, "Because of YOUR unbelief."
- Jesus, ministering to a blind man, asked what the man could see. The man said, "I see men as trees, walking." Dissatisfied with the results, Jesus continued ministering to the man until he could see clearly.
If something wasn't working, Jesus was ready to rip it out.
- When the fig tree had leaves but no fruit, Jesus "cursed" it, and the tree died. When the disciples were amazed, Jesus said, "Anyone can do this."
- Jesus told a parable about a tree that hadn't produced fruit for three years. While the Master wanted it removed and replaced, his servant asked for more time. The Master said, "If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then CUT IT DOWN."
- In another instance, Jesus said flatly, "EVERY tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire."
In other words,
If it's not working - if it's not producing results - DO SOMETHING ELSE!
If the Christianity you’re living is not producing results, then something needs to change.
If the brand of Christianity you adhere to can’t get answers to prayer, then something needs to change.
If the doctrine and rituals of your denomination don’t result in victory in every situation, then something needs to change.
I Confess!
For the first twenty years of my Christian life, I was an abject failure. Others thought I was a "man of faith." But I struggled to get answers to prayer. I worked two jobs to provide for my family, and I experienced repeated cycles of failure.
I'd followed the teachings of the "Word of Faith" ministers. I'd read stacks of books, listened to hundreds of hours of teaching tapes, and attended numerous seminars. I graduated from a "faith" Bible school and taught "faith" in church and a local Bible school.
But I thought I was following the right spiritual advice, and surely things would start working.
Then, I hit a low point - four long years of unemployment and underemployment.
During that season, I realized what I was doing wasn't working. I had to make changes, but I didn't know the adjustments to make.
So I threw away everything I had learned about God and how things work. I started seeking Truth, found it, and my life turned around.
The past twenty years of my Christian life are almost a mirror image of the first twenty.
I took what I learned, applied it, made adjustments, and proved it out.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21
And do you know what I found?
Getting results is more simple than the church has made it.
“Religion makes it hard. God makes it easy.”
Why does God make it easy?
Because He is a righteous God, His principles must work for EVERYONE, regardless of age, gender, race, financial situation, level of education, situation, or location.
His principles will work the same for YOU as they do for ME.
Out of my success, I now teach Christians how to be Spiritually Effective.
- Learn how to take the limits off of God and stretch for the impossible
- Learn how to get answers to difficult questions and solutions to problems
- Learn how to put your life on auto-pilot so the blessings of God come to you instead of you chasing after them
- Learn how to know in advance the outcome of situations or events
- Learn the keys to get consistent answers to prayer
For a limited time, I'm offering "90 Days to Spiritual Effectiveness" for FREE.
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– R. Pendelton
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