Are We Using the Wrong Measuring Stick? — Carol McLeod Ministries

What kind of work is effective? What kind of work makes a difference? We are used to answering these “What kind of work . . .” questions numerically. We know our work matters because we can see the effects of it. We can measure it and quantify it. We can compare it to the work that others are doing and see that it’s valuable. We like numbers because they give us a clear metric to measure success. How many followers do we have? How much did we sell? How many calories did we eat or pounds did we lose? How many people RSVPed for our party? How much money did we save this year? 

But what if we’re using the wrong measuring stick? What if we’ve picked up a ruler that has no meaning? It may have the ability to provide statistics and give us a way to compare ourselves to each other. But to what end? In the end, we all stand before the Lord of the universe, and how will this metric hold up then? 

If we look at stories like Gideon’s in the book of Judges, where God declares that he had “too many men” to win the battle, we’ll see that God’s highest value is his own glory. That means the work that matters is work that glorifies God. 

Truly effective work isn’t numbers-driven but Person-driven. 

A conflict between these two metric systems shows up in the New Testament as well. The disciples of John the Baptist came to him with a numbers-driven issue. As Jesus was launching his ministry, it was shrinking John’s following, and they came to him concerned: “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him” (John 3:26). They held up their ruler and saw a problem: everyone was leaving him to follow Jesus. To them, this was obviously a problem, because numbers mean everything. Growth is everything. John’s ministry was producing a ton of fruit—everyone in Judea was coming to him! They couldn’t let that wane now. 

But John’s life wasn’t governed by measurable ministry and numerical results. His purpose was a Person. And that made his work Person-centered. In his response to his disciples, he echoed many of the truths we’ve already discussed in this book: 

John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (vv. 27–30) 

John looked at everything he’d done in his ministry and claimed none of it: “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” He took the posture of a receiver, not an achiever. And then he reminded his disciples of his purpose: “I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’” 

He knew he wasn’t the main character in the story. He’d always been and always would be a supporting character to the One he was made for. Then, he revealed that his greatest joy in life wasn’t his own success but the coming of Jesus: “This joy of mine is now complete.” He compared himself to a friend of a bridegroom, simply happy to hear the bridegroom’s voice. 

John’s work wasn’t numbers-driven or task-driven; it was Person-driven. And so long as that Person was being glorified, he was content with whatever role he played: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John shifted seamlessly from the spotlight to obscurity because he knew his purpose. It wasn’t a particular role, skill, or type of work. He existed for God and was fully at his disposal. In John’s economy, decrease was just as great as increase, so long as Jesus was glorified. John was not using our number- driven ruler; he was using a different metric altogether. Is Jesus increasing? Is Jesus being glorified? Is Jesus central? These were the ways he evaluated his work. 

If our purpose in life is a specific set of tasks, then what we accomplish or achieve is incredibly important. But if our purpose is a Person, we need a different value system and a different currency to use. This means truly impactful work is measured differently. It’s not what is accomplished but who is magnified. It’s not how much is changed but who is exalted. Because the greatest commodity in the world isn’t achievement; it’s the glory of God. Work that matters is work that magnifies Jesus. 

This new way of evaluating our activity is difficult to live out. It’s a measuring stick we aren’t used to using and one the world doesn’t understand. It will lead us to make decisions that appear wasteful to others. But if we will evaluate our days through this lens—seeing God and his glory as our highest good—we will be sure not to waste our lives, even if our lives look wasteful to the watching world.