If you were to ask me about the problem of people being too committed to the church I would probably chuckle. For the most part, the opposite is true. Usually the challenge is finding those who will commit to simply attending church week to week, let alone finding those who are overcommitted. Too committed? Why, that’s almost comical. But is it possible? Are there actually people who go above and beyond what they should when it comes to the demands of the church?

Personally, I love the church. I love relationships within the body and working to impact lives. I am also a bit of a Levite at heart. I enjoy being in the church building, working on the church physically. I like dealing with all the practical, business, and organizational aspects of the church. I get excited about leading, planning, and organizing church events, programs, and a number of other things. As a pastor, I have often felt that no one else was putting in as much time, passion, or energy into the church as I was. Many times that was actually true. I am, however, called to these things. I have been employed to do these things.

Pastors often have the tendency to evaluate a person’s level of commitment – even his or her spirituality – by the amount of time they spend on the functions and programs of the church. We appreciate those who will show up every time the doors are open, sign up every time there is an event or project, or take on new roles and responsibilities. We would like for people to be as committed to the church with their time and resources as we are. (Maybe cloning isn’t a bad idea after all?) And there are many who are.

As a layperson it looks very different. For more than a year now, my wife and I have been on a pastoral hiatus, simply attending church, no real commitments. No titles, no job descriptions, and thankfully, no suits or ties. Nonetheless, I have preached far too many sermons about doing my part in the body of Christ to just sit in the pew week after week awaiting some vocational reassignment.

It all starts with something we see we could, and perhaps should, help with. So we get involved. Then there is that one thing the pastor really needs someone with experience to handle. Next thing we know, we are receiving three different calendars from the church for each area of commitment and find ourselves turning off lights and locking doors when we are at church, because we are usually the last ones out. While I’m not in over my head and have no regrets about these commitments, I am reminded of the sometimes impractical expectations a person can feel when it comes to church involvement.

Somehow this commitment thing feels a little different when you’re not a pastor on staff. First, there is no church paycheck. Second, I have 40 hours a week that I give to the people who do give me a paycheck. And finally, I have an existence outside of the church’s demands! That’s right: a wife, kids, birthday parties, school activities, a team to coach, music lessons, neighbors who need help, a community, hobbies, and maybe a need to enjoy a Sunday nap set to the beautiful ambiance of a football game. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to balance all of these commitments.

Of course a pastor has important balances that must be maintained in his or her life to be successful too. But here’s a thought…when was the last time you asked your pastor to help you on a special project at work? Perhaps that’s a bit dramatic. But depending on one’s understanding of the body of Christ or one’s experience in the church community, that may not be far from how a layperson may perceive the demands of the church from time to time. It’s easy to feel over-extended on commitments, financially stretched, and guilty if you aren’t.

During my first few years of pastoral ministry, I had a tendency to place high demands on people. As a young youth pastor, I was unforgiving of students who did not attend everything we were doing. I had special irritation reserved for parents who would dare think anything was more important than their kids showing up for my stuff.

There were a few students in particular with which I was regularly frustrated. They and their families were actually very faithful on Sundays and midweek services. But, I could hardly ever get them to attend what I considered the big things: special events, retreats, camps, small groups, etc. They were involved in athletics, other school programs, or held jobs that conflicted with my “stuff.” It was frustrating to see how committed they could be to these things, but not to “church” (according to my standard of commitment). I know I have not been the first or last pastor to look at things this way. Now many of these students are involved in ministry and doing very well. Who knew?

Commitment to church responsibilities does not necessarily reveal spiritual health or even passion for spiritual activity. Sometimes the “stuff” we feel pressure to be part of is just “stuff.” It may be important. But our commitment to be involved with it does not automatically constitute a working relationship with God or the fulfillment of His purpose for our lives.

My greatest fear, and probably that of some pastors reading this, is that I might encourage someone to remain uncommitted or someone else to back away from responsibilities within the church. Please know this is not some sort of license for disengaging yourself from the necessary work that must be done within the church. However, if you are someone who is always there, always volunteering, wearing several different hats, feeling constant pressure to participate, or if you have a tendency to over-extend yourself; make sure you are not on the road to burnout. There needs to be balance in our lives when it comes to the commitment of service and our commitment to worship. While service can be an “act of worship,” there is a difference between the two.

One example is in the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Martha tried to pressure Mary to commit to a very important act of service. She complained to Jesus Himself about Mary’s lack of zeal to do her part. Note that Jesus was not trying get out of a nice home-cooked meal. In fact, He came for dinner – someone had to cook. He simply pointed out that Martha had become “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.”

It is good to be committed, to pour yourself out in service to Him. Just don’t become distracted by your commitment. In the end Mary received the spiritual “warm fuzzy” from Jesus for her simple act of worship. There’s no mention as to how
Martha’s meatloaf came out.

Brian is an Open Bible pastor who lives in Altoona, Iowa, with his wife, Dawn, and their daughters, Breanna, age 11, and Victoria, age 6.