Wayne Mack. Living and Loving for God’s Glory. Phillipsburgh, P & R
Publishing. 2010. pp 301.
Wayne Mack has graduated Wheaton
College (BA), The Philadelphia Seminary (Mdiv, Greek), and The Westminster
Theological Seminary (Dmin-research project on marriage and family
counseling). He holds a position of
being one of the charter members of NANC, the National Association of Nouthetic
Counseling. From 1958 through 1976 Mack
served as a pastor. Since 1976 he has
consistently taught seminary level courses in biblical counseling. He has
written over twenty books throughout his ministry including; Humility the Forgotten Virtue, Out of the Blues, and A Fight to the Death.[1]
Whereas many books help us in
knowing what needs to be done in ministry, Wayne Mack’s Maximum Impact is more
about telling us who we should be in ministry.
Though the book can be analytical at times, and does provide a few
lists, it is most importantly a cache of wealth and wisdom to aid the counselor
in remembrance to operate in love for the Lord and the counselee. It serves well as a reminder that “without
love, we are nothing.”
Wayne
Mack takes us through his tome as an exposition of 1 Corinthians 13. Each aspect of love is exposited. Additionally the remaining passages of the
book of 1 Corinthians, are given as background to the main point, the
application of real love. We are
reminded again and again that no matter what we do, if it is not out of a heart
of love, we are working worthless works.
Mack reasons that: “Whatever unusual insight (knowledge) He may give to
anyone is worthless unless the person possessing that knowledge dispenses it to
others out of a real love for the people to whom he is ministering and, even
more important, unless he does it because he is passionately in love with his
God(17).” Mack continues to set up the thrust of this
book by stating: “…having a fruitful life and ministry is far more important
for us to have lives that are permeated and motivated by real love than it is
for us to be people who have great faith(17).”
Mack
does not diminish the role of faith in the believer, but rather addresses how
love is a demonstration of faith by growing in the fruits of the Spirit. Mack is agreeable when he shares how some serve
out of duty, yet without love. He
relates how some people may give generously, but may do so without love. Whatever our service may be within the
church, if it is without love it is not sacrificial. “Still further, Paul says that it is far more
important for us to have lives that are permeated and motivated by real love
than it is for us to be willing to suffer and even die and be martyrs for the
cause of Christ (23).”
Too
often the “Love Chapter” of 1 Corinthians 13 is read in a mundane, “I have
heard this before” way. Mack seems to
realize this tendency of some people to gloss over the text; therefore, he
takes time to focus on each adverb of the Biblical truth set before us by
Paul. In his usual style, Mack writes in a way that you enjoy, as if for the first time, the truths of scripture. With challenging questions
throughout, we are tested and trained with great seriousness. One case in point is when he writes: “You
have to ask yourself, ‘Have I done what He wanted me to do? Have I loved and served Him in the way He
deserves to be served (29)?’ Further questions, such as those for
self-evaluation in each chapter’s conclusion, are quite necessary in their
context. The author agreeably works
through the necessity of taking thoughts of the mind and applying them as
actions of the heart.
Mack
makes an analysis of each facet of love in application. Several statements throughout the book are
worth noting as they give the reader an axiom by which to gain valuable
direction in discipleship. Mack reveals:
“kindness may be defined as ‘love in working clothes (47).’ ‘Envy consists of a disposition of dissatisfaction
or dislike over the fact or thought that someone seems to be ahead of us or
above us or superior to us in honor, position, respect, success, possessions,
or effectiveness (69).’ When it comes to
bragging, Mack divulges: “The problem with our self-glorying is the problem
with all sin; it is a good thing made evil because it is used not for it’s
right end but to seek a wrongful end (92).”
He goes on to note that real love does not try to impress people with a
litany of conversational topics such as our knowledge, possessions, skills, and
accomplishments. Out of the more
extensive list on page 95 comes a series of applicable situations in which no one can escape
innocent. Mack is not trying to condemn
in his book, he is merely pointing out the deep need Christians have to rethink
the way in which they operate under the name of Christ.
When
speaking on how love is not arrogant, Mack points out the Corinthians, “…acted
as if they had generated their own abilities and therefore should be regarded
differently from other people who may or may not have superior abilities (111).”
Mack teaches us the value of treating everyone equally. This is a lesson that we may subtlety avoid,
yet should take to heart. Mack believes
that such an attitude of the heart places us in the same danger that: “their
arrogance was producing in them an attitude of self-sufficiency, complacency,
spiritual indifference, spiritual pride, worldliness, compromise, and lack of
zeal (112).” Thus, Mack goes through
each of the attributes of love in 1 Corinthians, outlining the residual
entrapments to life that permeate the corresponding actions or thoughts.
Page
after page of Mack’s book offers insightful definitions of the biblical intent
of each verse. Properly following suit,
a variety of concrete applications are illustrated. Therefore, this book is quite advantageous to
believers who want to make a maximum impact with the life God has given
them. Our world has too often shaped the
church rather than the opposite. Mack
not only writes of the truth of scripture that we may glorify God, he teaches that: “We should reflect on the
fact that, according to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, this is giving us another
opportunity to develop the kind of love that will cause us to make a powerful
impact on others in and out of our family for Christ (191).” This is an agreeable tenant for the body of
believers to rethink the purposes behind all ministries. This appears to be a thread of responsibility
that Mack finds in the scripture.
Several chapters hint at or directly conclude that one person’s sin
affects the entire church. This can be
seen in the context of relating to others when Mack writes: “So when Paul says,
‘Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing [unrighteousness],’ he means that real
love will not be glad in or take any joy in evil or unrighteousness of any kind
(200).” A further implied principal is
that as believers who do love, we love for others to love. True love for other believers will want to
see them excel in the maximum impact that they are to have. Stated in another way, if you are one who
truly loves you will rejoice when others exceed your works of love for the
glory of God.
Throughout
the book many assessments are made for the reader as to what the standard of
love looks like. Never are these held as
legalistic mandates, for that would not incorporate love. The truths behind real love are held before
the reader as the revealed will of God for Christian living that is attainable
by abiding in Christ. Thus, love is a
goal of great pursuit and enjoyment for those who are His.
Conclusion
Having read the book with great
acceptance, this author agrees heartedly with Mack when he states…
“To pursue love means that you
must want to be a loving person and you recognize love’s importance to yourself
and others. It means you are determined
to show love even when it is hard to do.
In order to do this, you’ll have to spend some time considering just how
to show love. Pursuing love means that
you are willing to discipline yourself to develop and manifest love. Developing and sustaining this kind of love
won’t come automatically or easy. It
will come as the result of a sustained, dedicated, and focused effort to follow
the biblical directives delineated in this chapter. It will be produced as we discipline
ourselves for the purpose of acquiring the godly characteristic of love (1 Tim.
4:7) (287).”
There is a great value in this
work. It has provided its readers with a reference point for all of
ministry. It humbly reminds us all to
first have a love for God and to secondly put on the work clothes of love when
dealing with others. So impacting is
this book, this author’s family is utilizing it for evening devotions.
[1]
Many of these facts are taken from mackministries.org/docs/about.shtml,
accessed September 17, 2012.
