We Must Care!

In any given business, it is estimated that eighty-one percent of customers will be lost in ten years because one percent will die; three percent will move away; five percent will give their business to a friend; nine percent will be lost to competitors; fourteen percent will be lost due to dissatisfaction with a product; and sixty-eight percent will quit because of an attitude of indifference of an employee.

The Lord’s church loses its “customers” (members) for all of the above reasons as well.

Death is daily calling men and women into eternity. In our mobile society, the local church is constantly affected by members who move away. Some members are lost to competitors (denominationalism). Those members who find that following Christ requires daily sacrifice and cross-bearing (Matthew 16:24), will become dissatisfied and drop out (Matthew 13:22).

The greatest loss of the church as well as business, is because of an attitude of indifference displayed by its members. Have we ever walked into a church building and felt that the members there would rather not be bothered by our presence? No wonder we don’t have the desire to return to that congregation.

In essence, Christians are the Lord’s salesmen (Acts 8:3-8; Acts 11:19-21; cf. Matthew 10:5-20). It would greatly benefit the church if we would look at how we treat our visitors in our Bible classes and in the assembly. Do we personally and warmly seek out our visitors, or do we drive them off by our indifference? (see here).

Indifference simply translated means, “We don’t care” (see article).

Beloved, we must care! (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets