Let’s Invest In People!

[236 words] After being warned by the prophet Daniel about his sinful pride (Proverbs 6:16-17; Psalm 101:5; cf. Proverbs 16:18), the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was struck with insanity. The Lord restored his mind, but only after he spent a long period of time in a field thinking he was a wild animal (Daniel 4:28-37). Nebuchadnezzar went from boasting, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for…the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30 ESV), to a humble prayer: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven” (Daniel 4:37). He had repented of prideful empire building. There should be concern about empire building in the church today. Instead of focusing on large church buildings, one Christian evangelist encourages Christians to “build into the lives of people” and leave the results to God (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). When a congregation devotes undue energy to statistics, buildings, and programs, pride…