The Danger of Christian Drivenness

As I talk with more and more Christians, I am struck with how busy we are. We have our normal daily lives with work, family, home and friends. But then we add to that worship services, time with the Lord, prayer, Bible studies, kid's activities at church, hospitality, committees, music practice, etc...our calendar is quickly filled with "good" things to do.

If you know me at all, you know that I am an incredibly driven individual. I have a hard time sitting still, so much so that when a commercial comes during a TV show, I get antsy! But recently, I've been pondering drivenness, especially as I talk with other ministers and missionaries. What drives us to do so much? Does more=better in the eyes of God?

I have come to the conclusion that DRIVENNESS is wrong. Let me explain. I have come to understand a stark difference between DRIVENNESS and INTENSITY.

DRIVENNESS, as I define it, is conformity to outside pressures to be better, bigger and more effective in ministry. Now this is a generality, but I think it holds true (let me know if you think differently!). Especially when we consider spiritual things, the more we do for God, the more gets done, right? He's got to be pleased with that. We drive ourselves to take on activities that, in and of themselves, are totally good. I'm not saying that Bible study or hospitality is wrong by any means. But what I do mean is that they can be done out of a motivation or fear that we need to do things for God, and as a result, He's happier with us.

This, I believe, reflects a low view of God. He must be pretty weak to need ME to do things for Him. I end up feeling like, "If I don't do it, it won't get done, and the Kingdom won't advance." Have you ever thought that? Maybe not outwardly, but take a minute to evaluate. Have you? There is a great verse in Acts 17:25.

"...nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything."

As if He needed anything. Can I add anything to God? Are my efforts really contributing to His work? Now what I am not saying is that the things we do for Him are worthless. It just is a matter of perspective. He doesn't need me.


INTENSITY is a completely different matter. It may look a lot like drivenness, but its source is internal. It is a deeply seated passion for God that moves us forward, that "compels" us to live and breath and move. I believe there was a sincere intensity to Jesus and the apostles, one that had an incredible impact on their ministry efforts. Have you ever looked in the eyes of a deeply spiritual person and just known that there was a depth of power and intensity to them? Being intense is vastly different from being driven. It has a high view of God, as He remains the object of the person's passion and pleasure. When we love something deeply, there is a certain weightiness that we carry wherever we go and whatever we do.

In that same passage in Acts, Paul says (vs. 26,28):

"...having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God...in Him we live and move and have our being..."

What would it be like to live into our time. He put us here in this place at this time for a reason. This is the location He determined for me. Rather than engage in the frenzy of Christian activity, yielding to drivenness, what would it be like for us (for me!) to be firmly seated in my place, living every moment out of an intense passion for Him. Yes, I will end up doing "Christian" things, but the pressure to do so will come from the inside out.

Especially for ministers, but also for every believer, I think there are severe consequences for living a life of drivenness. Burnout, disappointment, feelings of betrayal ("God, I try so hard. Why aren't you showing up?!"), legalism and bondage all can result. What kind of lifestyle are we displaying to those around us, to our children, when we end up resenting Christ or the church for all of the activity that we have to do?