Focus, Or Tunnel Vision?

 We measure to make it better. This is what we tell ourselves about everything. We measure our money, our time, our performance, our looks, and a host of other things. We call this metrics. Taking complex systems and making them countable. We do this in sports, in politics, and in church.

Why do we count attendance? Do we get anything if we hit certain targets for attendance? Does knowing how many people were there on Sunday morning makes us any better? Why do we count converts? Does knowing how many were saved makes us any better in evangelism?

The problem that I see with focusing on measurable metrics is we run the risk of developing tunnel vision. We become so focused on the measurable that we ignore or completely miss the intangible. How do you measure spiritual growth or spiritual maturity? What metric do we apply to the fruit of the Spirit? Do we count the number of times you prophecy or interpret tongues? Do we measure how many of your prophecies come true?

A local church of any size is a complex system. There are many intangible metrics and unmeasurable qualities. Everything and every person is interconnected. We are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Goodheart's Law tells us that when what we measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good way to measure. The moment we focus on something and count it, it stops being important enough to count. David got into trouble with God over numbering the people. We lose our ability to judge the life of God in our church when we focus too much on one thing. We need the whole counsel of God, not just one particular thing.