Life in a bubble …

If you want to live a quiet, private life, don’t go into politics … or church leadership.

The life of a leader in Christ’s church isn’t a private life.

It’s not supposed to be.

As much as we can yearn for privacy, and people can so easily ignore appropriate boundaries, the truth is that the lives of church leaders are an important part of their ministry. The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, put it this way:

“A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.”

The idea that the whole life of a church leader is to be used in ministry is implicit throughout scripture, but also explicit as well. For example:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity,” 1 Timothy 4:12.

“In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching,” Titus 2:6-7.

“Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith,” Hebrews 13:5.

“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world,” 1 Peter 2:11-12.

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples,” John 13:35.

“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father,” Matthew 5:14-16.

Life in a bubble isn’t always comfortable, but adequately shepherding part of God’s flock requires the use of our whole lives. The discomfort is worth the results:

“A brief, simple, but expressive eulogy was pronounce by Martin Luther upon a pastor at Zwickau in 1522 named Nicholas Haussmann. ‘What we preach, he lived,'” said the great reformer.

That’s life in a bubble.

Scotty