"Christians are like Manure..."

"Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horribly." (Crazy Love by Francis Chan)

That's a great description, isn't it. God's intention for us as believers and churches are to be "the light of the world (Matt. 5:14);" "the salt of the earth, Matt.5:13);" "ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20);" and "His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)." We are to be the fertilizer that brings the presence and transforming power of God's love into our families, communities and the world in which we live.

When we as believers become self-centered in our approach to spiritual growth, self-indulgent with our service and preoccupied with personal agendas, we miss God's intent for his people. We are on the planet, so that God can reveal Himself to the world, in and through us. We are to be world changers. We are to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)

In my nearly forty years of ministry, I have observed that in churches where people are reaching out through ministries, and baptisms are occurring on a regular basis, and the church as a whole is committed to reaching the world through mission endeavors, financially and through personal participation, there are very few problems in the church. But churches who choose to focus their programs and ministries on meeting the needs of the church members over the needs of the lost, begin to stink with the stagnation that comes from selfishness, dissension, faithlessness and lack of love.

So, what kind of manure are you? The kind that just sits in a pile and stinks or the kind that is spread around and makes things grow? If I am going to be compared to manure, I sure don't want to be the kind that stinks. What about you?