Thoughts for Life: #51 Your Accountability as a Leader, Part 2

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: We continue our discussion of leaders' responsibility to God and their people.

You will be accountable to practice what you say.

Jesus commanded us not to be like the Pharisees. "They do not practice what they preach" (Matt. 23:3-4). Bishop Ryle comments,
"So long as the world stands, this chapter ought to be a warning and a beacon to all ministers of religion. No sins are so sinful as theirs in the sight of Christ." (Google image, Pastors keep going through hard times)

Paul adds, "You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?" (Rom. 2:21). There is no greater hindrance to the cause of Christ, no greater insult to the name of Christ than the lives of Christians not measuring up to the teachings of Christ and the Bible.

This is, above all, true for Christian leaders. The world has every right to demand that we practice what we teach or preach. If we don't we are hypocrites, and no hypocrite deserves public respect.

It is all too easy to be more strict with others than we are with ourselves. It undermines parental respect when parents require of children what they themselves do not practice.

It undermines respect for the church if people can point to flaws in leaders' lives. It destroys the power of the truth when we do not live up to the Bible or to what we say to others.

Jesus said, "Be on your guard against . . . hypocrisy" (Luke 12:1). Peter urges us to rid ourselves of all hypocrisy (1 Peter 2:1). Beware lest you overstate the Bible standard. There is only one way you have a right to preach a higher standard than you live.

You may need to say, "This is what the Bible teaches. I confess I do not yet live up to it. Pray for me that by God's grace I will from this day on."

Many a leader has preached himself under the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the truth became even more clear to him as he spoke. If you do, humble yourself before God and your people. Confess your need.

If you give an invitation to people to come forward and seek God's help in obeying the truth you have preached, be the first to go to your knees and ask for the prayers of your people. Then you will maintain their respect.

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Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#51 Your Accountability as a Leader, Part 2
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 164-165) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Prayerful invitations

Father, we've seen that the greater hindrance to the cause of Christ is Christian leaders who do not practice what they preach.
Their lives do not match up to the teachings of Christ and the Bible.
We have every right to expect our Church leaders to earn the public respect through their living what they preach, as it
otherwise destroys the power of the truth.

Many a leader has preached himself under the conviction of the Holy Spirit when he preached the truth. It became clear to him when he spoke, that he needed to humble himself and admit before his congregation and You, that he'd failed to be the example needed.
Lead him to repent, and to show true leadership by surrendering himself to You for Your forgiveness and restoration, and then to live in accordance to what he's been preaching.
I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Eph. 2:10 (NIV) "For we are God's workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do."

Gal. 6:9,10 (KJV) "And let us not be weary in well-doing:
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (10) As we
have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

1 Peter 3:15 (KJV) "But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every
man that asketh you a reason of the hope that
is in you with meekness and fear."

Today's quotes-

~ James Banks- "All around us are people who need us to follow Jesus's example and love them with our prayers, inviting God's help and intervention in their lives. We can ask God to help us pray for them, and He will! May our loving Lord strengthen us to generously give the gift of our prayers for others today.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt- “One's philosophy is not best expressed
in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes . . . and
the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”

~ Andrew Murry- "Everyone who would like to pray more faithfully and effectively must learn that his whole spiritual life is in a sickly state and needs restoration. His shortcoming in prayer is merely the symptom of his weak life of faith. Only when he realizes this will he become fully alive to the serious nature of the disease. He will then see the need for a radical change in his whole life and walk if his prayer life—the pulse of his spiritual system—is to indicate health and vigor."
(Taken from p. 76, 77 of The Ministry of Intercession by Andrew Murry

Today's question-

Why do our choices matter?

To start with, our future, and those around us, will be effected by the outcome! Think for a moment about Ruth in the Bible. (Ruth 1). Her choice to forsake everything familiar and to follow Naomi back to Jerusalem, meant a possible life as a beggar, knowing that her people were Moabites, and not on friendly terms with God.
But her life there was blessed because of her commitment to follow Naomi's God; she married an important Jew named Boaz, and became the mother of Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the father of King David.
We are challenged to consider our choices, as they will reflect what our hearts and souls are committed to. In our choice to be submissive to someone means to embrace their vision, dreams and goals. The following 5 points are to help us make better choices in our everyday lives:

Choose the path regardless of destination, which will give us eyes beyond the present.
Choose the place, regardless of the comfort, when God wants to do something where you are.
Choose the circle of people you want to influence you; which will be what really matters.
Choose providers, regardless of the cost, who encourage your faith in God.
Choose the posture of serving, regardless of the sacrifice, for the rest of your life. This happens when you willing say to Christ Jesus, "I am Yours, forever!"

(Notes from a sermon).

Upcoming posts-

#52 You Will be more Accountable than Your People
10th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

Does God Know You?
12th- Saturday's post by Jean Oathout

#53 You Will be Accountable for Your Example
15th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#54 You will be Accountable for Your Payer Life
17th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel