numbers

"Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. Wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David."
- 1 Chronicles 27:24

My measure of "doing well" is often in the numbers - in the numbers of people coming to know God, in my grade point average, in the amount of time invested in something.

But when I am one man strong, having no imprint of success on the earth, yet I know I am prospering in God's kingdom, it is so much more worth it. It's more worth it to be with God and to be a failure in numbers than it is to have numbers with God confronting me rather than supporting me.

This verse is one of many that talk about censuses and counting men - as if to reaffirm the strength of the army. In a modern-day perspective, it's not all that important how many Christians are in the world or in our churches. Our strength is not flexed in manpower - our strength is not even found in man.