Consider Your Leaders

Hebrews 13:7 says, "Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith."

This verse leads us to the idea that we are to consider our leaders. We are to remember them, think on their life, and contemplate their ways. They are the people who have spoken, literally preached, the Bible to us. Take a moment to think back on your Christian walk and those who have held any type of impact on your walk with Christ. Remember them in prayer, and seek to be an encouragement in some way to them today! I truly believe that a mark of a growing and godly person is support of pastors and ministers. So many Christians today are willing to gossip, slander, and roast those who serve the Lord in ministry. Yet they are unwilling to go to God in prayer for servants of the Lord. I will try to say this as lovingly as I know how - these type of actions are sin. As a seminary graduate, I seek constantly to not judge ministers but to pray for them. It is a struggle and those close to me know that at times, I have failed in this area.

The second half of the verse says to consider the result of their conduct and then imitate it. The writer of Hebrews wants us to think about how preachers of the Word live their life. For those readers, it could have meant looking at the Apostle Paul and imitating his faith. For us, it means looking at a godly minister and learning from him. He can set the precedence for how faith is applied to our daily lives. Does he witness weekly or daily? Does he tithe? Does he seek to live a worshipful, spirit-filled life? Is he a student of the Word? Is he a Christian that is ever growing and non-complacent? While a preacher may not do all these things at all times, surely by God's power he is able to walk victoriously and achieve a God-focused, God-glorifying life.

May we seek to learn from our ministers that God has blessed us with! Think of one characteristic of a minister in your life and imitate it today. An example of this in my own life is to imitate the life of Dr. Gray Allison. His ministry and his life is all about devotion to Jesus in all things. While the list can go on and on of those who have dedicated their lives to the work of God, may we praise the Lord for his mercy in blessing us with godly men to lead us in the faith.