A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, "I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little and get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it." After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father’s study where his father said, "Son, I’ve been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve studied your Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!" The young man waited a moment and replied, "You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair...." To which his father replied, "Yes, and they walked every where they went!"
Moses, Samson, Abraham, and Noah are all considered leaders. These great leaders all had something in common: whenever they led the people, they FOLLOWED AFTER GOD. Another good example of this is the Apostle Paul. We would all agree that Paul knows how to lead people. After all, he had a HUGE impact on the early church and has continued to impact us over the last many centuries. Paul was able to confidently say “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
As leaders, we must be able to make a similar claim as Paul. We need to encourage others to follow us. They need to have an example of how to walk, talk, live, and give of themselves. We must be able to exclaim “follow me as I follow Christ.” It isn’t for our glory. It’s not to bring attention to ourselves and our actions, it is to point those following toward Christ. We are only a mirror of Christ. We reflect the image of Christ back to Christ himself. What do you need to change in your life so that you can exclaim “follow me as I follow Christ?”
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
