Motives ...

Well, a few weeks ago I read this line in a devotion: "Are you more concerned about following Jesus’ example, or telling everyone what example Jesus was trying to convey?" and I have been pondering the line ever since.

As a pastor in training, I have to admit that I sometimes fall into the latter camp of that question. I find myself thinking about how I can express the "true meaning" of the Gospel message and ways that can be done in worship, Bible Study, and the like. But when I read this sentence, I am convicted that the best way to convey Jesus' message is by following Jesus' example.

You can imagine that as a student I am often being evaluated on various things. One of the "classes" that I had this past semester is called "Teaching Parish" a chance to put the "rubber to the road" as it were and try things out in a congregational setting. For teaching parish I had to evaluate myself and then be evaluated by the Pastor and a committee of lay people. It was interesting to me to see the strengths that came up from those two evaluations, talking about my passion for leading by example. Hmmm ... I guess sometimes these things are in your blood and you don't necessarily always think about it.

I think back to living in Madison, Wisconsin and being told by people I worked with, "you're always so positive, why is that" and I didn't have an answer at the time ... but now I see that it is something that was infused in me, living the message of Christ.

Now, I don't say all of this to somehow make myself seem like I've somehow arrived. I assure you there are days when people would look at me and say "that's no example of Christ" or there are little things I do here and there that even make my own mind question my motives. But overall, I have subconsciously lived with the idea of following Jesus' example. My goal now is to make that subconscious conscious so that it can become fully subconscious again.