I was greatly encouraged the other night. After a challenging week I had a two to three hour drive to preach at a university Christian Union meeting. It went well, far better than it should have gone. On the way home I was built up and encouraged by listening to Dr Joseph Stowell, former president at Moody Bible Institute. He was speaking about preaching. He encouraged this preacher.

One of the gems I appreciated in his talk was this. He urged his listeners not to aim to be a great preacher. Instead, he urged them to strive to be an effective preacher. Greatness puts the focus on yourself, while effectiveness keeps the focus where it should be, on the listeners. As he said, “The issue is not how well you’re doing, it’s how well your listeners are doing!”

One of the benefits of aiming for effectiveness rather than greatness is that it takes away any jealousy or resentment of “great” preachers. If you’re not aiming for greatness then they are no threat, they are not the competition. In reality there are very few great preachers, and most of us would do well to not be comparing ourselves and making excuses for our own lack of “fame” (if I had thirteen secretaries, or if I had a slick marketing manager, or if I just knew the right people, etc.) Let the greats be great. Let us be effective. Oh, and if Swindoll, or Piper, or Stanley, or Lucado, or Begg, or Briscoe, or David Jeremiah, or whoever, happens to throw a bail of hay over the fence and feed our sheep, then praise the Lord!

Let’s not aim for greatness, let’s diligently strive for effectiveness.