Chapter 1

What brings glory to God? What does God say brings glory to Him? Church growth? Dynamic ministries? Eloquent sermons? Best-selling books?

David captures the answer to these questions by writing, "For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:16).

When David ponders what he can bring to God, even the public and ornate, sacrifices of God's holy temple are not enough, David recognizes that these actions are only symbolic of our hearts and of our lives being offered to God as means of glorifying Him for the work He has done in us. God wants us to serve Him in the way that He has prescribed. He wants us to govern, pastor, and care for His church in a way that brings glory to Him and only Him.

This book is not a book about theology (though I consider a book that seeks to brings God's glory in the way we steward our resources to be profoundly theological), rather it is a book that seeks to equip Christian leaders with tools to help them better steward what God has given them. With this desire in mind, there is only one place to start, and that is with God receiving honor and glory by our ministries and the use of the gifts He has entrusted us with.

Is a desire to bring glory to God deeply rooted in every ministry you start? If not, I want this chapter to encourage and challenge you to place God's glory at the center of everything you undertake. We don't just want to build healthy ministries; we want to build God-glorifying, healthy ministries.

What is it that guides the projects and ministries in your church? What are the overarching standards that help you navigate through the countless decisions a ministry faces? When things get tough, where do you turn? What happens when you have a tough choice to make? What ideology rules your thinking?

Choosing a credo is no light matter. A credo becomes the guiding light for a ministry, especially when there are tough decisions to make. If we do not choose our inspiration and motivation for our ministries, we will find that less-than-desirable, unintended goals become our driving force.

It is no surprise that Christians have often turned to the Bible as their guide to help them in their individual Christian lives, in their churches, and in their projects and ministries. I believe that the Bible should be a Christian leader's source of inspiration and that it should shape our thinking, our ministries, and ultimately our very goals and desires for our ministries. A biblically centered Credo doesn't just change our actions, it changes our hearts. This is what David is speaking about in Psalm 51 when he recognizes that it is not merely outward actions that God wants; He also wants our very hearts molded and shaped to pursue His glory.

When our ministries and projects become passionate about glorifying and honoring God in ALL that we do, we own the essence of a healthy ministry. In our quest for healthy projects and ministries, there is only one place to start-by defining our credo as a consuming desire to bring glory to God in all the tasks we undertake.

Paul writes, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). If the mundane tasks of eating and drinking are to be God-centered, than shouldn't the projects and ministries we undertake in the church be God centered as well?

If this credo has been good enough for Christians for two thousand years, it certainly will be good enough for any project, ministry, or mission we seek to accomplish, or any book we attempt to write.

Understanding God's Honor and Glory-Why Is This So Important?

If God's glory is not the central theme of our projects and ministries, what is? I can assure you that if you pursue something other than God's glory, you will experience an unhealthy ministry. God says in Ezekiel 28:22, "I shall be glorified in your midst." Here God lays an unequivocal claim on who will who receive the glory and honor in our lives and ministries. Since God is the Creator, the honor of all that we accomplish is due to Him.