Don't Just Carry the Title, Act the Part!

²⁴And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong.
²⁵He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it],  2 Timothy 2:24-25 Ampilified Bible

I heard a minister say one time, "I don't have the LUXURY of losing my temper or being angry.  I must always watch my temper because it can have profound effects God will hold me responsible for!"  He then cited this verse, "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly." James 3:1."  Now nobody is perfect!  Everyone is capable of making a mistake, including leaders!  But, when leaders know that a flock looks to them as the closest thing to Jesus we may ever see on the earth, that is a weighty responsibility and they will be judged according to the word.  Jesus was everything to everyone.  He was the good shepherd, He was called teacher, He flowed in the ministry of helps (He went about doing good, healing ALL who were oppressed).  He flowed in all five ministry gifts, but more importantly He flowed in love and compassion!  The only time we see Jesus be "stern" if you can even call it that, was when He drove the money changers out of the temple and when the Pharisees tried to trick Him.  With His sheep, He was always gentle and showed great compassion and mercy.  We who are laymen (servants of the Lord) are just as responsible to  NOT take offense, as well as not give a person an open door to be tempted to TAKE an offense.  Today, I was talking to a pastor's wife (who is also a nurse) I have known for several years.  She is different and I have known for some time I just am not her "cup of tea" so to speak.  She sells a product that I buy from her.  I was having some physical issues with the product that others were not having.  She made some suggestions that were good suggestions, but not knowing some preexisting medical conditions about me, she advised me wrong.  When I told her why certain things she said (which I had already tried and gotten terrible results on my own!) would not work, her response to me was, "Well, since you know it all already I don't need to tell you anything!"  I was shocked by this response to say the least.  I explained myself and she did calm down a bit, but she never offered an apology.  Don't think the devil wasn't right behind her whispering in my ear, doing everything he could to get me into the SIN of offense!  She should know better.  I mean, she is a pastor's wife for goodness sake!  You didn't do one thing to deserve that type of a response!!  On and on he went until I caught it!  NOPE!  NOT THIS TIME, devil!  I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE UP TO AND I AM NOT GOING THERE!!!!  I immediately began to give her the benefit of the doubt  that I try to give others.  Maybe she was tired.  Maybe she had had a patient she knew and loved receive bad test results today and was upset.  Maybe she was worried about her son who is deployed in the military and it put an edge to her voice she didn't mean to have.  Why is it we give everyone else that "benefit" but not ministers??  They are human, too!  Their job is not easy.  No, she should not have reacted the way she did, but I almost did the same thing as she!  Now, that does not make what she did right, but I would have been foolish to let that lodge in my heart and become a bitterness.  Do you know what one of the first signs of maturity in being a Christian is?  Being able to control your tongue!  Sometimes we have to FORCE our tongues to say, "I apologize.  Please, forgive me!"  That is GREAT control when you tell your tongue it is going to do something you don't really want to do. Remember, you are looked to.  Not all that come to you have attained the self control or the temperament of a mature Christian.  Be careful not to offend and to preserve the bond of peace.  We are required to do it AND we should want to if we are true shepherds and leaders!!  Laymen, we are responsible as well!  Never be a stumbling block to another!  Always lift up, even in correction.  Let that correction be covered in love and the bond of peace will be preserved!  We should never turn people "off" to the gospel OR church, and we represent both of those very things!  I pray this dear lady be blessed.  She has much on her plate.  I pray we, as Christians, are sensitive to others, just as Jesus was and is.  The most important thing in life is not that people say you are right, but that God says, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!  Enter in!"  If we want to grow our churches and enter in to all that God has for us, we must be obedient to every word and loving to every soul!  Have a blessed day, my friend, all day!