Why Is Quantity Of More Value to Us Than Quality?
My daughter and I were talking together the other day. The context of our conversation happened to be about helping another family settle into the States from another country and how rare of a thing that is to be a part of. She is in the International Baccalaureate program at her local High School and that program focuses more on an international world-view and helps students see a wider perspective of their current world. As with many programs that people put together, there are certain requirements that are set in place to fulfill and one of those is a certain set amount of volunteer hours. I keep stressing to her that the trip we made and the week and a half we spent simply to ease the transition for another family into our country should count as a deeply-moving amount of those volunteer hours. But the problem is, those hours must come from some sort of accredited organization who can document them and sign off on them. This is troubling to say the least. What are we teaching our kids by this standard? They, like my daughter laments, are being taught that only the hours they put in that can be documented by someone important or by an organization is important. The things anyone does that is simply because they loved and cared genuinely for someone else in their own personal life does not matter.
We considered her trip to Miami as another big step in an essay she was writing that accounted for a huge percentage of her grade in one of her classes this year. It was on chocolate...or the history of cacao on civilization both past and present. We researched and found out that cacao was grown down in the tropical area and we went to the local botanic garden of Miami just to be able to see the cacao trees and the fruit actually growing on them and experience that first hand. But none of that seemed like a big deal to those leading the class for this essay.
Why is it that only what is set in guidelines and important to an organization is important? Why isn’t human development and actions done in real genuine thought, care and desire not as much?
It’s sad that actions done in today’s society from our children out of their own desire is of lesser importance than something showy and done only to satisfy a set of rules and regulations on paper.
This ties in with something I read today in the book of John: “...for the Father tenderly loves you Himself, because you now tenderly love me and now believe that I have come from the Father.” Chapter 16, verse 27.
“The Father tenderly loves you Himself”. How do these words impact your heart right now? When I read those words this morning, I cried because how little we feel the fact that the Father tenderly loves us Himself. Why is that? Why is such a HUGE reality given so little thought in our day to day lives? I think it may relate very much to the quantity over quality issue. It’s the same issue my daughter lamented about.
We as God’s people are mostly told in our daily lives by organizations (and their corresponding programs), that our involvement in these are proof that we are children of God. It has to be seen and documented and put into reports and those reports sent to headquarters. It’s quantity and must be quantified. But listen to me, and listen to these words dear child of God. It isn’t about quantity. It is all about quality with God. “The Father tenderly loves you Himself.” What happens in the life of one whom God loves Himself personally?
Quality happens.
If you read John chapters 15-16, Jesus speaks often of fruit. Mostly in chapter 15. We have been told all of our lives, (and literally, this has been what I have heard almost all of my life until I walked away from anything I’ve heard that isn’t straight from God’s Spirit speaking)
that this fruit Jesus is talking about is religious acts of service to an organization that can be documented and proved. Quantity. You must be a part of one of the many programs. (Or more than one preferably. Actually, how about you give all of your time and family and family resources to do as many of them as you can). The organization in turn will highlight you and bring you on stage and promote you in front of the entire audience. You will then be recognized as a Christian person because you have stepped into the organizations guidelines that can be quantified. The organization is well pleased with the reports and stats and figures.
We considered her trip to Miami as another big step in an essay she was writing that accounted for a huge percentage of her grade in one of her classes this year. It was on chocolate...or the history of cacao on civilization both past and present. We researched and found out that cacao was grown down in the tropical area and we went to the local botanic garden of Miami just to be able to see the cacao trees and the fruit actually growing on them and experience that first hand. But none of that seemed like a big deal to those leading the class for this essay.
Why is it that only what is set in guidelines and important to an organization is important? Why isn’t human development and actions done in real genuine thought, care and desire not as much?
It’s sad that actions done in today’s society from our children out of their own desire is of lesser importance than something showy and done only to satisfy a set of rules and regulations on paper.
This ties in with something I read today in the book of John: “...for the Father tenderly loves you Himself, because you now tenderly love me and now believe that I have come from the Father.” Chapter 16, verse 27.
“The Father tenderly loves you Himself”. How do these words impact your heart right now? When I read those words this morning, I cried because how little we feel the fact that the Father tenderly loves us Himself. Why is that? Why is such a HUGE reality given so little thought in our day to day lives? I think it may relate very much to the quantity over quality issue. It’s the same issue my daughter lamented about.
We as God’s people are mostly told in our daily lives by organizations (and their corresponding programs), that our involvement in these are proof that we are children of God. It has to be seen and documented and put into reports and those reports sent to headquarters. It’s quantity and must be quantified. But listen to me, and listen to these words dear child of God. It isn’t about quantity. It is all about quality with God. “The Father tenderly loves you Himself.” What happens in the life of one whom God loves Himself personally?
Quality happens.
If you read John chapters 15-16, Jesus speaks often of fruit. Mostly in chapter 15. We have been told all of our lives, (and literally, this has been what I have heard almost all of my life until I walked away from anything I’ve heard that isn’t straight from God’s Spirit speaking)
that this fruit Jesus is talking about is religious acts of service to an organization that can be documented and proved. Quantity. You must be a part of one of the many programs. (Or more than one preferably. Actually, how about you give all of your time and family and family resources to do as many of them as you can). The organization in turn will highlight you and bring you on stage and promote you in front of the entire audience. You will then be recognized as a Christian person because you have stepped into the organizations guidelines that can be quantified. The organization is well pleased with the reports and stats and figures.
“The Father tenderly loves you Himself.” This is quality. Apart from what is seen by men that can be bragged about by men, the Father is tenderly loving you and in the way He does that is by making Himself real to you on the inside. And the fruit that you are bearing isn’t some random acts of service for your local church organization. It is WAY BIGGER than that. He is working deeply in you in His love as you in turn love Him and enjoy Him, He is working in you a miracle. In you, what is happening is causing fruit to come in your life. This fruit is mentioned in the book of Galatians 5:22-24:
“But the product (fruit) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law against such things.
And those who belong to Jesus the Christ have crucified the lower nature with its passions and evil cravings.”
Do you see what is this fruit that is occurring in your life because the Father tenderly loves you Himself? This is important. It is quality. It is deep. It is between you and Him. It can be worked out in many ways and situations. This world is a tough place. All those things that happen to you that drive you to the One who tenderly loves you Himself is the quality. Maybe in this crazy world full of quantity, there is this beautiful solace of quality in the tender love of the One who loves you tenderly Himself. That quality is working in you. And the fruit that that quality makes is completely different than the quantity the world craves so desperately. So be free dear child of God. The quality is the tender love of the Father who loves you Himself. And the internal work is happening in you. And you will bear much fruit.
Read one verse further after this fruit of the Spirit is shared with us in Galatians:
“If we live by the Spirit, let us walk where the Spirit leads. Let us stop being ambitious for honors, so challenging one another, envying one another.”
The Spirit is not going to lead you into the things that are ambitious for honors because in that is the challenging of one another and causes envy.....and every evil work. But the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Just this morning, my daughter wondered why the house next to ours was empty. When I told her that the Hispanic family had moved out last October and that the house had been put up for sale and then purchased and now still remains empty, her response was to wonder why the Hispanic couple left. She was concerned for them. She wanted to know where they had gone and why. Quality. But who cares in any organization to recognize quality and what is true and genuine and real and what will last? Will we as God’s children? Will we see what is truly God’s heart happening deep inside one another? It is something no one can quantify or take for themselves. It is God’s. It belongs to Him and He will get all the glory.
How’s this for icing on the quality cake?
Paul the Apostle speaks by God’s Spirit to us, “This is why, ever since I heard of it, I have never ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you, through full wisdom and spiritual insight, with a clear knowledge of His will, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord to His full satisfaction, by perennially bearing fruit in every good enterprise and by a steady growth in fuller knowledge of God;
then you will be perfectly empowered by His glorious might for every sort of joyous endurance and forbearance, and you will always be thanking the Father,
WHO HAS QUALIFIED YOU to share the lot of His people in the realm of light.” Colossians 1:9-12
Who qualifies you?
Who wants to quantify you?
Go with quality my friend.
Do you feel like church has become too quantity driven these days?
“But the product (fruit) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law against such things.
And those who belong to Jesus the Christ have crucified the lower nature with its passions and evil cravings.”
Do you see what is this fruit that is occurring in your life because the Father tenderly loves you Himself? This is important. It is quality. It is deep. It is between you and Him. It can be worked out in many ways and situations. This world is a tough place. All those things that happen to you that drive you to the One who tenderly loves you Himself is the quality. Maybe in this crazy world full of quantity, there is this beautiful solace of quality in the tender love of the One who loves you tenderly Himself. That quality is working in you. And the fruit that that quality makes is completely different than the quantity the world craves so desperately. So be free dear child of God. The quality is the tender love of the Father who loves you Himself. And the internal work is happening in you. And you will bear much fruit.
Read one verse further after this fruit of the Spirit is shared with us in Galatians:
“If we live by the Spirit, let us walk where the Spirit leads. Let us stop being ambitious for honors, so challenging one another, envying one another.”
The Spirit is not going to lead you into the things that are ambitious for honors because in that is the challenging of one another and causes envy.....and every evil work. But the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Just this morning, my daughter wondered why the house next to ours was empty. When I told her that the Hispanic family had moved out last October and that the house had been put up for sale and then purchased and now still remains empty, her response was to wonder why the Hispanic couple left. She was concerned for them. She wanted to know where they had gone and why. Quality. But who cares in any organization to recognize quality and what is true and genuine and real and what will last? Will we as God’s children? Will we see what is truly God’s heart happening deep inside one another? It is something no one can quantify or take for themselves. It is God’s. It belongs to Him and He will get all the glory.
How’s this for icing on the quality cake?
Paul the Apostle speaks by God’s Spirit to us, “This is why, ever since I heard of it, I have never ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you, through full wisdom and spiritual insight, with a clear knowledge of His will, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord to His full satisfaction, by perennially bearing fruit in every good enterprise and by a steady growth in fuller knowledge of God;
then you will be perfectly empowered by His glorious might for every sort of joyous endurance and forbearance, and you will always be thanking the Father,
WHO HAS QUALIFIED YOU to share the lot of His people in the realm of light.” Colossians 1:9-12
Who qualifies you?
Who wants to quantify you?
Go with quality my friend.
Do you feel like church has become too quantity driven these days?
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