Find Us Faithful

For those of us involved in ministry - and that pretty much applies to all of you - we have a lot of responsibility and privilege. Not only are we charged to be shepherds for our people, but quite often, we're also shepherds for those who will one day take our place.

Youth pastors, you see this in the group of 2 or 3 guys who are always at the church, or consistently asking you about when you "knew" you were called into ministry. Worship leaders, you see this in the middle-school girl who makes a bee-line for the drums each week, watching, asking, making mental notes.

It happens to us all - the young people that God places in our lives to watch, learn and maybe even model what they've seen.

And while most of us are more than willing to stay late after practicing teaching a guitar chord or meeting for an early morning Bible study or attending some high school sporting event, we're still falling short in the lives we display for the kids who are to come after us.

Specifically, I'm talking about us, guys. Who among us doesn't have a college guy or high schooler hanging on our words and watching what we do? We've got to do a better job at modeling an entire live of God-honoring behavior.

I personally believe that many of us have done a great job in displaying what a good minister does, but fail when it comes to showing what a good husband and father does. You see, all of my young guys are watching me - they see when I cancel plans on my family to make some rehearsal, when I ignore a call from my wife just so I can indulge in some late-night parking lot chat. They notice when all I talk about is the job. They notice when I pass on a day off or use that free time just for me. And they notice when I can't turn off my mind and I'm still "at the church" even when I'm at home.

Let's work harder, guys. Let's be aware that these that follow us are learning more than just chord structures or songwriting or web design or sermon planning or outreach. They're learning how to be the kind of man God calls them to be...and some of them are learning it wrong. Let's do it better.