When I first relocated to this country, I met a Reverend gentle lady. Her remarks about church and pastors have stayed with me all these years. She had groused then about how pastors are always giving you instructions, telling you what to do. With the passage of time, I have observed just how accurate she was. And I have found myself wishing that pastors would just be like God and demonstrate what they want of us. That way, the church would not become a place where they hand you a list of dos and don’ts.
Learning takes place a lot more easily when we observe than when we hear. Psychologists refer to this as observational learning but you do not need to be an expert to understand the concept. Your children grow up with your mannerisms because they watch you and then imitate you. This is why the bible talks about training – not teaching – a child. Life is really an apprenticeship, not a classroom. You learn to do by doing what you observe others doing. That is why it is critical to evaluate who you allow into your space.
And this is the reason that instructive pastors usually experience frustration as they yell at their congregations. What they instructed yesterday is totally ignored today and they find themselves having to repeat it. They raise their voices in hopes that this time, members will remember. Next time, it happens again until they become frustrated screamers.
Their members are not deaf, not really. The problem is that their actions are so loud, their members cannot hear what they are saying. You know of course that this adage is not restricted to the instructions from the pulpit.
Stop Talking, Be Like God And Demonstrate
However, on this blog, we do not wish to stray too far from our mandate. And you know that our mandate, which is to prepare people for eternity with God comes straight out of the bible. So, permit us to stick with things scriptural.
Imagine what your Christian walk would have been if God were like some Pastors. Can you see God instructing us to love Him? We have no concept of love; we do not know love and God is commanding us to love Him. He would be as frustrated as some pastors who end up screaming instructions. But if they would stop talking and simply be like God and demonstrate what they want, everybody would be at peace.
God wanted us to love Him. So, what did He do? He started the ball rolling by first loving us while we were still unlovable. When it was time for Him to command love, we knew exactly what He was talking about. We learned it on the cross as Jesus died in our place. But if he had not demonstrated His love, He could have instructed until He was apoplectic. We still would not have any clue what He was talking about.
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Some pastors are that way. They instruct about the need to be gentle but their members have never seen gentleness. Or they instruct on paying attention in church while they are busy interacting with their phones. The members have no concept of what it means to be attentive! The following week, pastors repeat their expanded instructions more forcefully and nothing happens.
Jesus Wanted Priests To Be Like God and Demonstrate
The missing link is that their members are waiting for such screaming pastors to show the way. They want their pastors to be like God and demonstrate what they want members to do, not scream it. This is the theme of Jesus’ teaching in the twenty-third chapter of Matthew. Eight times in that one chapter, Jesus placed a curse on pastors who instruct one thing and do the opposite.
Pastors must be careful not to bring down a curse on themselves by being such hypocrites. Jesus recognized that vile trait and advised the people against it. He told His listeners that the pastors knew the doctrine. Oh yes, they had been to several theological schools. It was in the demonstration that they fell flat on their faces. Therefore, He concluded, do what they say but most certainly not what they do.
Can you imagine Jesus sitting in Heaven and waving His hands over the earth for us to be saved? It would not have worked because we would have no concept of sacrificial love. But He left heaven to walk the earth so we would have an example of real love. So, when He eventually commanded us to love one another, we had a living model.
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Pity the pastor who cannot be like God and demonstrate his desires. Next, pray for him or her. But watch yourself and ensure that you take Jesus’ advice to heart. Don’t let anyone lead you astray. Or else, look for a pastor who is able to channel the love that Jesus demonstrated on the cross at Calvary.
Find Jesus, Your Best Model
If you plan to make it to heaven, you must be like God. And nobody can show God to us as clearly as Jesus does. Indeed, the Bible declares that Jesus is the express image of God. So, you should seek day by day to be more and more like Jesus. There is no model as good as Jesus Himself. So, whatever your pastor does or does not do, model your life after Jesus and you will not miss Heaven.
You are probably wondering how to do that, seeing as Jesus is not so readily visible. And yet the bible clearly says we should focus on Jesus. Jesus Himself cautioned Peter to simply follow Him and blot out all distractions. So, for us today, where is Jesus to be found?
There is no better Jesus’ location than the bible, the written word of God. It reveals the living Word of God. Any believer who does not study the living Word of God by reading the bible will have a faulty model. Jesus knew how to be like God and demonstrate love.
He loved us before He asked us to love Him. Jesus did to us what He wanted us to do to Him. Our model was thus able to explain the concept; do unto others what you want them to do to you. That is the only way to live a contented life. If you expect faithfulness, give faithfulness, whether you are a pastor or a member.
Would you like some love? Give love to others. Do you want generosity? Be generous to others. Nothing could be simpler. Go ahead and show me how you need me to behave to you.
Maranatha!
