What? Writing this as someone who is writing her PhD on event impact and has become an impact consultant, this hurts! But maybe this is good and needed. And urgent!

Is there an idolatry of impact in our churches, organisations, the way we portray ourselves on social media?

More than a week ago I had the privilege of being together with Christians who serve as influencers on social media plus many others creating online content for their churches and organisations. I was asked to speak about staying healthy and connected with God and life when so much is about numbers, impact and connections.

Timely then I saw Matt Summerfield posting about the book “Subterranean” by what the authors call the idolatry of impact.

Thanks to Matt for citing the following very powerful quotes from this book:

“𝘞𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥’𝘴 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮-𝘰𝘧-𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤…𝘞𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵.”

“𝘞𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺? 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨?”

What is my response to these quotes?

One of the urgent questions we need to address is: What is my definition of success? Is it numbers? Scale? Followers?

I love how my mentor friend Bob defines success: “Success is loving people unconditionally towards God.”

Success then is less about myself, my possible impact or reach, it is neither about speed or ungodly metrics defining impact but about God himself, about Missio Dei.

Daily I need to make a choice on what kind of impact I desire and count as success.

To quote Matt again:

“I don’t doubt or deny that urgent needs are all around us which must be responded to. The danger of impact is that it can fuel pride and forsake patience.

We need much less of the former and much more of the latter.”

Maybe join us in this prayer today…

“Lord, I long to make a difference.

I know you purposefully planned me for significance.

But, forgive me for the times when my purpose so quickly became my identity.

“I am what I achieve” is disastrous for my soul.

Speed and busyness are corrosive to my relationships.

Keep me moving at the pace and peace of Jesus.

For the good of your world, and the glory of God (not me!)

Amen.“