I just finished watching “American Idol” and my mind started to wander…if I am really honest with myself, sometimes I look at ministry kind of like “American Idol.”  I see it as a contest to find the best and most talented person or program, a contest with a variety of judges topped off with a popular opinion poll. I have to say with unfortunate conviction that, at times, I can really struggle with this mentality.  

Please don’t get me wrong; we should want to offer quality, professional ministry and we should all do our best to “perform with passion,” but with what goal in mind? Sometimes I have to ask myself some hard questions. How often do I view ministry as a contest of numbers and popularity? Is my attitude competitive with others?  Do I rejoice over their successes or do I secretly hope they “forget all their words?” How often do I hear a person teach and secretly “judge” their technical performance and not necessarily the content?  Of course we’d all hope otherwise, but when I’m honest, there are times I have found myself counting the numbers and comparing them to another; caught up in the competition of the American Ministry Idol.

Paul told the church at Corinth in 1 Cor. 2:2-5, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” I wonder if Paul didn’t “miss a note” sometimes or “sing off key” a time or two, yet he knew exactly what he was about and Who he was about. What an encouragement to me when I experience “technical difficulties” or a sour note, but also a warning not to be too harsh to my fellow “contestants.” Lastly, whose opinion am I really pursuing? On “American Idol” the judges and the popular vote are the ruling opinions, but whose opinion rules in ministry?   Whose should? I believe we need to take people into account - their needs and their opinions are important - but it shouldn’t end there. We also shouldn’t become overly concerned with a lukewarm reaction to a mediocre performance. There have been times I wanted to throw in the towel altogether after an “off” performance because I had lost sight of Whose opinion really counts.

While the Word of God does not specifically address singing competitions, there is quite a bit of talk about running races and different parts working together as a whole and seeking God’s approval alone. That makes me wonder if Paul were to write a letter today, would he refer to the TV reality competitions to speak to the church about points of comparison? He used the Greek games to speak to his readers 2,000 years ago, so why not write about reality shows in this day and age?  

What hits me most about “American Idol” is the whole approval process, the voting and the criticisms of the judges. On the left you have Randy, who is pretty straight-forward, in the middle there’s Paula who likes to say all the nice things, and then there’s Simon, who always seems to be having a bad day. Doesn’t that remind you of the reactions we receive in ministry? I love hearing from the Paulas, and the Simons can get under my skin, but we really do need to hear from the Randys. We need to hear the truth and not just compliments.  

I hear the “judges” every time I speak. Some are real, but all too often the judges that speak the loudest and most intensely are in my own head. I’m my own worst Simon and I hear those bitter words, “That was completely horrible! The worst I’ve ever heard.” Then my pride takes the microphone and offers her own cranky opinion.

People matter and our critics matter, but I need to learn to ask the Lord consistently to filter all the criticism through His Truth, and not let my pride get sidetracked with it. I need to let Him fine-tune me and then move on.  How easy it is to allow our focus to shift from the Lord’s approval, the true goal in our spiritual race and ministry, to other  people’s opinions. Paul addresses this in Heb. 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

How easily my pride gets in the way and hinders me.  Sure we need to have quality ministry, well-prepared and well-performed, but that cannot be the only goal. Pleasing Jesus is the goal. We do that by loving Him and others, and by obeying His call.  

I’ll never forget the morning I spoke at a local church. The Lord gave me a powerful reminder that I am not all that HE is… and I’m supposed to be doing this for Him alone.   I always like to look put-together when I speak, so I usually have my clothes laid out the night before. The day before I had run into the store to pick up an extra pair of pantyhose. Looking at the chart on the back of the box I made up my mind I could “easily” fit into the smaller size. I was not about to move up to the next size.  I awoke early to prepare my heart and mind for speaking by having some quiet time before the Lord, then I showered, dressed, and left. Things were just fine; my heart was in the right place and I was ready  to speak the truth. I felt good about how I looked, too. I was confidently walking in to the church when I felt something very strange happening to me. As I walked, my pantyhose were falling down. I was walking them right down my legs! With every step they went farther down! I burst out laughing as I ran to the bathroom and remembered the lovely chart which said I needed a larger size. Just then the Lord gently spoke, “You were so prepared and confident. Remember why you are here. Remember Me, because this is not about you.”  I hiked my pantyhose up as far as I could and the morning went fine. But it taught me a great lesson. My pride is sneaky.  I was reminded that ministry is not all about me, it’s all about Him - including the results. 

Ministry is not a popular-vote competition, because the only judge that counts is Jesus.  Jude 24-25 says, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”  We are to stay in this competition, but we need to remember Whose competition it is and what we’re competing for. It’s His competition, and all the “contestants” are His, too, and we’re all competing to please Him.

Beware of the American Ministry Idol. May we shake off any notion that we need the popular approval of man, and may we throw off all hindrances. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Paul is like a musician who does not heed the approval of the audience if he can catch the look of approval from his Master.”  May we look only for the Master’s approval as we serve in a culture that is so very “Idol” driven.

~ By Mandi Cornett