Greater strictness

“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.” James 3:1

How often do we overlook the depth of this passage and go forth with our desire to want to teach. James very specifically says those of us that teach or hold a leadership role will be judged by God with greater strictness.

Why, because every word we say and the way we live affect the spiritual lives of others. We must teach directly from the word of God and live out the word of God 24/7. In our homes, in our social lives, in our personal lives, God’s word must be lived out.

For those of us who teach or hold any type of leadership role we must be held to a higher standard and accountability because we are in a position of either leading others to the cross or away from the cross.

In Matthew Jesus says, “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.” Matthew 9:42

I don’t know about you but for me, if I saw a leader in our church participating in sin and notice I said participating (that means they are willfully doing it) I would lose a lot of respect for them, one because they are contradicting the word of God and two they are causing many others to stumble. It is the same way with any of us who teach or share the Good News.

When G and I first got married we attended a church G had attended when he was little. G and I adored the Pastor. He would get up there every Sunday and preach with passion. It was not long after G and I moved to Texarkana that we found out this Pastor had been having multiple affairs with different women for years. WOW, we were stunned, remembering the man was human, we were still stunned.

This man would counsel men and women who were living in adultery all while he himself was doing it. Are you getting my point? Yes the man is human but enough with that excuse we are all stinkin’ human and yes we are all sinners, but we are children of God  who are to live above all of that, we are to live like Christ Jesus. We are to die to our old sinful ways. And we who teach are to live just as Christ instructs us to live, because WE WILL be judged with greater strictness.

I don’t know about you but I never want to lead someone away from the cross, I never want to live a life that contradicts the very Word of God. I want to live above that, I want to be better than that, and I want my College babies and anyone else God calls me to teach to desire to live above and beyond.  Not because we think we are better than everyone else but because God is better than everyone else and He deserves better than just average worship, average living, average teaching. He deserves to be respected with the utmost respect because He is God the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. There is no one greater than Him. We should be disgusted if we call ourselves Christians and yet live as the world lives. We might as well spit in the face of God.

Prayer: Lord You know why I am so passionate about You, You have brought me through some horrible sinful living and have placed me on this side of the Cross. You have delivered me from death, You have covered me with Your blood, and  You have filled me with a passion to live above and beyond the old way of sinful living. For that I am ever so grateful. Thank You Lord for giving me distaste for sin and the things of this world, but most of all thank You for what You have done for me. Amen