Bystander effect

As a freshman in college, at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, I took a Psychology 101 class with over 300 other freshman.  There was a lot of material covered in the class.  Only two things stuck with me from that course; one, participating in experiments for graduate students doing psychology research is dangerous and two, the bystander phenomenon.

The bystander phenomenon purports that when multiple people are bystanders to an emergency, they are less likely to respond than if they were the only bystander witnessing the same emergency.  For instance, if you are at a community pool and someone begins to drown in the pool you are slower to respond because there are so many other people around.  You would find yourself thinking, “Maybe there is a lifeguard around, Perhaps someone would do this better than me, What if I look stupid trying to save this person or What if I drown too?”  Whereas, if you were the only person on the side of the pool and this same person began to drown, you would respond quickly because there is no one else to rely on or compare yourself to.



God doesn’t subscribe to the bystander phenomenon.  When he says jump, he means jump and jump now.  Don’t ask questions about how high and why.  When I first began attending First Christian Church, I can remember sitting in the main worship center during service, looking up at the indoor fitness track that surrounded the worship center and hearing God say, “They need you here.  There is work for you to do here.”   My husband and I had sold our house and moved back to NC, I had every intention of being a stay at home mom who would work part time.  I had owned, operated and consulted in the fitness industry for 10 years by the time I was back in NC.  I had plenty of experience to bring to the table.  I had an undergraduate and a masters degree in exercise science.  And, I can remember thinking, “Oh, no God, they have this covered.”  “Look at what it has grown to, they can’t possibly use me.” 

I negotiated with God.  “Well God, if they need me, they will have to ask me.”  God: Seriously Anna?  There are 1500 people through these doors on a Sunday, they are supposed to look at you and know what you can do?  Come on child, I said they need you here, jump.  My husband was hearing from God too, he was telling me to give them my resume.  I can be so stubborn sometimes.  After a few weeks, I did pass my resume on to someone.  No response.  God wasn’t satisfied.  One fateful day, I crossed paths with the person who had my resume.  We were both in the childcare of the fitness facility one morning (I had purchased a membership and was working out there).  A comment I made about managing and overseeing volunteers caught him off guard.  I can remember clearly him turning his head to me and saying, “Have we met?”  I indicated no, but that he had probably seen my resume.  The rest is, as they say, history.

I give you this story to illustrate how I was being a bystander.  I was standing by the pool and waiting for someone else to jump in.  God Himself had told me to grab a buoy and jump and I waited.  I learned a couple of things from this experience; do not sit and wait or wonder if you are needed, you are needed.  He gave all of us gifts to use for His glory, not ours.  When God shows you an opportunity, it is His timing.  He means now.   God doesn’t use bystanders, he uses jumpers.

Second, as a ministry leader, I can relate to those who are sitting in the “pews” waiting to be asked.  In some cases they hear God telling them to act, but they are negotiating and questioning God.  In sales, the worst mistake we make is not asking for the sale, not asking a potential buyer to invest in your product or service.  Not asking someone to help in your ministry is denying them an opportunity to experience God. 

Ask God to show you where you are needed and then… jump!