Most of us are familiar with the micro/macro concepts. Macro is the term that means "large" while micro is the term that means "small." For example, microeconomics refers to the study of individual markets in the economy while macroeconomics refers to the global, notional or even regional economic picture. So what do I mean by micro vision as opposed to macro vision? Think of it in these terms, little picture and big picture.
In Philippians 1:15-18 Paul has been told that there were some people preaching about Jesus of impure and disingenuous motives. They said, "You know there are people there preaching about Jesus to cause strife and divisions. Some are doing it for personal gain. Some are doing it to bring trouble to you, Paul. Some are preaching pretentiously. What do you have to say about that?" Paul's reply revealed that he was a macro vision type of guy. He said, "I know that some preach Christ out of envy, strife, selfish motive, trying to add to my troubles BUT whether they preach Christ out of sincerity or out of false pretense, Christ is being preached! In that I do and will rejoice."
Macro vision people see the big picture of the Christian ministry. They understand that not everything is going to suit them, that they may have to set aside personal preferences on some things like music, dress, worship styles in order that the main purpose of proclaiming the gospel be accomplished. I am almost 60 years olds. I was saved and raised in strict fundamentalism. If anyone has traditional roots it is yours truly. When I first walked into the church I now attend, and heard the contemporary music, I felt an immediate negative, judging spirit rise up inside me. Then, horror of horrors, the pastor stood up in a pair of khaki pants with his shirttail out to preach and I started shutting him off. But I took a deep breath and said, "Bob, give it a chance. You may be focused on the small stuff." So, he began to preach the gospel of Christ with power and clarity and it hit me that the big picture of Christ being preached is what matters. I've watched this church reach college age young men and women and send them out to the mission fields in bunches with the gospel of Christ. I'm not suggesting that a church like mine is for everyone who reads this post. What I am saying is that we have to choose whether we are going to focus on the small picture or big picture. As for me and my house, it is and will be macro.
Christian education is a macro vision, big picture ministry. There is a big purpose God has planned for us that goes beyond me, my preferences, my traditions, my worship style. Schools that get hung up over whether a skirt is knee length or two inches above the knee or whether to allow a girl to wear jeans, is a small picture ministry and is destined to shrink and then die. That is disturbing to me. But even more disturbing is the attitude I see among some people that it would be better for the school to close than compromise our "convictions". How many children can be educated to share the gospel in a closed school? How many children can be rescued from a corrupt school system by a school that died because it wouldn't broaden from micro to macro vision. I'm certainly not suggesting that we have no dress codes or music standards in our schools. What I am suggesting is that we not waste our opportunities to prepare young people to impact this culture for Christ because we would rather see our school closed and the buildings sold than relax our dress codes, make our music a bit more contemporary, work harder to build graceful relationships with the students than to force compliance for the sake of image. I was in a school a few years ago where a student could wear green jeans, black jeans, white jeans, purple jeans but would get demerits for wearing BLUE jeans. And then we wonder sometimes why the world we are trying to win looks at us like a cow looking at a new gate!
There are things far more important than the beat of a piece of music, or the length of a skirt or the version of the Bible someone walks into church with. Preparing our students to walk with God (measured by the fruit of the Spirit, not by hair length, by the way). Preparing them to reach their culture for Christ. Preparing them to continue supporting and furthering Christian education, a ministry that is BIG picture and it must either adapt or die.
Now before anyone reading this skewers me, just ask yourself this question. How do you want your school to be viewed in the community? What good does it do the cause of Christ if people ride by your empty buildings one day and say, "I'll give that bunch one thing. They stuck to their hardline standards. Of course, they had to shut the school down when they lost their kids, but they didn't compromise."
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