We’ve previously established the need for organization in the Church to function interdependently. If we aren’t careful, however, we’ll lose the fluidity God intends to keep us functioning as a living organism. To prevent systems and structures from taking on a life of their own, we must rely on the Holy Spirit, not organizational efforts. Organization should never become a substitute for the work of the Holy Spirit.
Relying on the Holy Spirit as We Organize Makes Sense
We organize so we function in accordance with God’s design for the Church, interdependently as a unified whole. Yet, the Spirit is the One who makes unity possible. We’re merely making “every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).
We organize so the right people are in the right place at the right time doing the right ministry to accomplish the right outcomes. Since the Spirit is the One who gifts people to do their part for the common good (1 Cor. 12:1, 4, 7), certainly it only makes sense to view our organizational efforts as merely aligning with what the Spirit has already put in place.
We organize so we reach our potential as His Church, fulfilling God’s purposes and mission. The Spirit is the One who will keep our organizational efforts from becoming all-consuming and full of red-tape that binds us rather than freeing us to truly become all we can be in Him. – “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Gal. 5:18)
The Difference It Makes When We Rely on the Spirit, Not Organizational Efforts
When we “live by the Spirit” and “keep in step with the Spirit”, we no longer have to hold on so tightly to our organizational structures that we react defensively to other opinions or ideas. We will “not become conceited, provoking and envying each other” (Gal. 5:25-26). We all have the same Helper, the Spirit of Truth, on whom we can rely to enable us to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” (Phil. 2:1-4).
Organization under the control of the Spirit remains fluid and life-giving. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:18-20)
We must rely on the Holy Spirit, not on our structures, praying at every turn, to accomplish change and growth in the Body. Without the wisdom and power flow of the Spirit, we have little more than an institution of man-made structures that would stay the same with or without His presence.
Church leaders:
- Are you stopping to pray for the Spirit’s leading in your organizational efforts?
- What measures can you put in place to make sure you are trusting in the Lord and not leaning on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5-6)?
For More, Go To: Resources about the Holy Spirit
All Posts about Organization:
- Organization Following God’s Purposes?
- The Cause and Effect Factor of Organization
- The Need for Fluidity in Organization
- Living Organism Needs Organization
- Organizational Structures Help or Hinder?
- Organization Because of Freedom in Christ?
- Organization Enhancing Ministry Not Entangling It?
- Organizational Skills of Jesus
- Why Organizational Skills When We Have God?
- Spiritually Gifted to Organize
- Praying About How to Organize to Best Accomplish Goals
- Rely on the Spirit, Not Organizational Efforts
- The Gospel, the Organized Eternal Plan of God
- Organizational Efforts with a Life-Giving Effect
- The Effects of Life-Giving Organizational Efforts
- The Right Reason for Organization
- Aligning Organizational Efforts with Scripture
- Organization Reliant on the Name of the Lord
- Grace Helps Keep Organization in Check
- Leader’s Role as a Guide in Organizational Efforts
- Perspective and Power Needed for Organization