Footprints
In 1998, while working for an AT&T subsidiary, I took
a temporary gig as an Inbound Customer Service Rep for the wireless
business unit. Some calls were made by folks who had just acquired a
cell phone, and needed setup assistance. Others had a lost-stolen
phone and requested account deactivation to avoid bogus charges. The
majority of calls involved a billing issue, many of which had to do
with “roaming” charges.
A roaming charge was incurred any time the user went
outside of our wireless footprint—the effective coverage area based
on cell tower configuration—with the result that a collaborating
provider’s footprint picked up the call to avoid interruption. If no
other footprint was available, the user experienced a “dropped”
call. Competitors charged us for that backup service in the form of
a roaming fee. Now, these service transfers were seamless for the
user in real time, but came to light—oftentimes alarmingly so—upon
examination of the monthly bill. I learned first-hand how irate
customers can become when you mess with their money!
Technological advances in wireless communications
have virtually eliminated the roaming charge. The AT&T that once
infuriated customers with roaming fees now boasts a wireless
footprint that covers 97% of the nation. The latest footprint to
stir controversy is the Carbon footprint—the machination of a socialist
network hell-bent on establishing a New World Order and
regulating every carbon-emitting entity on the planet…including you
and me!
The student of scripture can readily discern the
concept of a spiritual footprint. As a wireless footprint reflects
its effective coverage area, so also does a spiritual footprint
reflect the extent or measure of godly influence exerted
by both individual believers and the local churches of which they
consist. A few illustrations are in order.
Lot is an example of a righteous man with
an ineffectual footprint. Over the course of time, Lot migrated toward
Sodom, ultimately resided in the city and took his place within its
leadership (Genesis 19:1). We know that Lot had at least four
daughters—two of which were unmarried virgins (19:8) and at least
two that married men of Sodom, who thus became his sons-in-law
(19:14). When informed of Sodom’s impending doom because of its
iniquity, Lot beat feet to his sons-in-law, and urged them to
evacuate. But he was not taken seriously. It’s evident that his
married daughters likewise dismissed his impassioned plea. Few
things weigh more heavily on the heart of a Father than an awareness
that his spiritual footprint has failed to impact his own children in matters pertaining to righteousness.
The church at Corinth is a case study in the
undersized spiritual footprint. This body of believers,
notwithstanding the plethora of spiritual gifts with which God had
graced them (1 Corinthians 1:5-7), had a spiritual footprint that
was wanting. Paul’s rebuke: “Awake to righteousness, and sin not;
for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame
(15:34). Failure to propagate the gospel in the city and to the
surrounding areas was a stinging indictment! How would you rate the
evangelism-missions footprint of your church?
The first Corinthian epistle could also serve as a
“how to” guide to footprint atrophy. In order to achieve a similar
outcome, a modern-day church need only engage itself in one or more
of the following: personnel politics (1:12-13), toleration of sexual
perversion (5:1-2), litigation against fellow believers (6:1-8),
indifference to the public sins of its membership (6:9-11), disregard
for the sanctity of marriage (7:1-40), and doctrinal corruption
(15:1-28).
The church at Thessalonica, in contrast, is a prime
example of a robust spiritual footprint (1 Thessalonians 1:5-8). Its
mentors—Spirit-filled gospel preachers with solid
assurance and godly lives—produced a congregation of followers,
who became examples to the entire Macedonian region It’s the
classic NT model for footprint expansion in the context of
discipleship! The formula for a thriving spiritual footprint can be
summed up in four words: The Mentored become Mentors!
The verb “sounded out” (Gk. execheo, “to sound
forth, emit sound, resound”) in reference to the Word is perfect
tense, passive voice. It portrays the Thessalonian believers as
wielding the Word with permanent impact, so that it literally
resonated throughout the region. The verb “spread abroad” (Gk.
exerchomai, “to go out, come forth”) in reference to their
God-ward faith is also perfect tense, indicating that their
testimony enjoyed the same kind of staying power. A church is in the
“sweet spot” in terms of its spiritual footprint when the population
to which it ministers affirms that the lives of its members are in
sync with the body of truth it proclaims!
Every church and child of
God has a spiritual footprint with a corresponding degree of
influence or impact. How many times over the years have lost men and
women searching for truth traversed our spiritual footprint
(individually or collectively) only to be “dropped” because our
footprint did not extend as far as their need? That, my friend, is a
roaming charge that no sinner for whom Christ died should have to
incur!
Top |
