Love God Like Others Have Loved Him - 08
Imitating the Elders? What?!
Though we are unique as creatures, there is still a sameness about us as people made in God’s image. We are called to a human commonality, personhood. Then, as Christians, there is a commonality that extends into the soul and the fashioning of your life for Christ.
And so it is that Paul advises believers, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”1
It is good advice. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel; we’re not even allowed to invent our own way of being a Christian. A Christian is a Christian. If you find a good one, then model your life to resemble their’s. If you respect someone for the maturity you see in their faith, then watch them closely. See how they interact with people. Ask them questions about their habits, family decisions, view of work, financial matters. See how they build these things around God’s Word. Get their advice. Become a sponge. Suck all the living water out of them that you can! And, of course, respect them.
This is the idea Peter presents in his first epistle (1Peter 5:1-5). He instructed elders to be examples to the flock.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
So an elder should hope that his sheep become like him, in the same way that he is supposed to have become like Jesus. Peter calls it being an example to the flock. It is what God expects from the office-bearer. It is a good thing. So latch onto it.
When I first began to walk with God, I would draw from every well where I thought I could find fresh water. Various pastors and teachers and friends. It didn’t matter if it was in church worship, a bible study, or a coffee lounge. I wanted to learn. I wanted to know.
As I grew, I realized that usually the ones “in the know” were the church pastors. And so when we moved to different churches, my wife and I usually became friends with the pastor and his wife. With these friendships, I began to realize that pastors were not right about everything. And so learned that there may even be times when I knew something they didn’t know, or didn’t even agree with. Nonetheless, I valued them. They were men that could be imitated.
Now, as one of the pastor/elders of our congregation, I better understand the concept of being an example. I appreciate that there are younger men who might respect an elder in the church more than they were ever able to look up to their own fathers. This should not come as a great surprise. For one thing, their fathers may not have loved and walked with God that much. Secondly, it should be quite normal in a multi-generational congregation, for the young man’s own father to respect the elder too.
What young men will need to guard against is any show of disrespect for the church elders. Disrespect is inappropriate. God doesn’t like it. It is a sign that the young man is getting ahead of himself. Peter’s advice to the young is to learn subjection; it is to clothe yourself with humility. Subjection and humility do not come naturally. God must help the young man learn these. The old ones must learn them as well.
No one should think too much of his own knowledge and accomplishments and whether or not he is recognized by others. Beyond that, it is never good to try and turn other congregants away from the current church leadership to follow after you. You are not more important than the unity of the Church and the health of the sheep and the respect of the elders.
Remember, the shoe could be on the other foot some day, for isn’t it your goal to become an elder? And then, how would you wish men to approach you? How would you want them to talk about you? Peter’s words are a good reminder, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
1 Corinthians 11:1