I learned a lot of my life lessons in high school as many do. Some of them were less life altering like never eat a big meal before wearing spandex (yes, I was on the dance team). Some of them were more critical like there is always more time to do it right than to do it over, thanks to my physics teacher. One of the lessons that was very important was learning that you can't know anyone based on what you hear about them, you have to get to know them yourself. I remember a particular teacher that I heard was "evil" pretty much from my freshman year, but I wasn't in his class until I was a senior. I was horrified to learn I had not managed to escape his classroom, and on the first day of school attempted to change teachers before I ever walked into his class. When I finally sat in his class, I was surprised to learn that he wasn't so bad. While he didn't have one of those charming, "favorite" teacher personalities, he cared about students and the material and wanted us to learn.
Now, as much as that was an instructive experience in my teenage years, I was reminded of this lesson some years later. After I became a Christian, I went through my unfortunate "self-righteous" phase with some fellow Christian friends. We would watch preachers on TV or read about them and decide who was "really" living for Christ and who wasn't. I'm embarrassed to admit that we had quite the holy huddle of judgement going for a while. Then I moved to a new city and actually heard some of those same preachers we used to judge speak and preach in person. I also sat in a few seminary classes and listened to people I knew, talked about in ways that I knew were untrue and was very convicted of my own behavior. Since then, I have adopted an attitude of "you don't know, 'til you know." Whatever I hear about someone or read about someone, especially Christian leaders or pastors, I give the benefit of doubt, recognizing that you can't know anyone that you don't have an actual relationship with, and appearances can be deceiving.
Two years ago, my own pastors Ed & Lisa Young came under attack from a local news station. I was appalled as I saw how the reporter manipulated the public with half-truths, innuendos, and implications all of which were dishonest. Now, that same station is at it again. Their willingness to report false information and disparage good people who love Christ and continuously give all they can for the local church makes me livid! Ed and Lisa Young were my employers for seven years and have been my pastors for ten. I have sat with them in meetings, been a guest in their home, watched them raise their four amazing children, and learned more from them about ministry than I can enumerate. They are not perfect people, but thankfully none of us are this side of heaven, but I can tell you that they are honest, loving, compassionate, generous, and trustworthy. I say this not based on rumors or things I've read, but because I know them.
Ed and Lisa are not the only Christian leaders or role models to come under attack. This happens to pastors and leaders all the time. Anyone who stands for Christ will face this kind of persecution. Tim Tebow gets mocked because of his faith. Bubba Watson takes hits on twitter and Facebook for being vocal about following Christ. Joyce Meyers, Bishop Jakes, Brian Houston, and many, many more will continue to have things said and written about them that will be untrue. As their fellow believers, it is our job to look past the implications to what we know. We know that Jesus Christ gave His life for our sins and that He is alive today. We know that the Holy Spirit lives in us and guides us with conviction and wisdom. We know that God loves the church and has commanded us to be united as a body. We know that the Bible is God's word to us and should be used as the foundation for all we believe. We know that behind all the news stories are people, writers, reporters, some of whom are good and write with integrity, and some who aren't. The point of this is not for us to judge them anymore than we want them to judge us. The point of this is to encourage myself and any who read this post to stick with what we know is true. Let's commit to taking all reports in with a grain of salt, and reserving our opinions until we actually get to know someone. Let's commit to listening to leaders and preachers and letting their own words tell us who they are and the Bible be the only standard by which we judge what they say. We won't get to have a personal relationship with every leader out there, but that doesn't mean we have to accept what we hear as truth about them. We can simply say that we don't know them and leave it at that. After all, you don't know, 'til you know.
No comments:
Post a Comment