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Can I Follow You As I Follow Christ?

People don’t want to hear your words; they want to see your actions
Can I Follow You As I Follow Christ?

It is a privilege to serve as a leader in the kingdom of God. It is an honor to be entrusted with the gift to teach and disciple the people of God. Yet with this gift, leaders are held to a higher standard. James 3:1 warns us, “Not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

It is important that we teach well, but we must be very careful that our lifestyles don’t let people down. Will we be perfect? No, we will not be perfect. Nevertheless, let us be the type of leaders who lead not only with our words, but also with our lives. Let us be able to say with confidence like the Apostle Paul, “Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing” (Philippians 4:9, emphasis added).

For example, abortion is one of the most talked-about subjects in the evangelical church. It is the deciding factor in elections, the topic of many sermons, and the reason some choose to protest with pictures of unborn babies that would cause even the toughest man to squirm. The church is screaming “pro-life,” but I contend mainly in propaganda and not in action. What do I mean? It is easy to be pro-life or pro-anything behind a computer screen or in speech. However, the world needs to see consistency. It needs to watch our lives and say, “Yes. Yes, they truly do care about this issue.” As leaders, our followers need to see beyond our words and witness our actions. Are you that kind of leader?

I recently discovered that type of leader. I was talking to some friends recently about our mutual friend, Pastor Odai. We were discussing his love for the people in his congregation and in the community in which he serves. Pastor Odai had a meeting a few years ago with a family in deep emotional distress. The wife was pregnant and the family wanted to abort the baby. The couple already had children and felt they could not afford one more mouth to feed. Of course, the pastor told them that he could not support an abortion, but the couple was adamant. They didn’t know what to do! They felt they had no other alternative. The wife was in tears as she agonized over her dilemma. They told him that they knew abortion was wrong but had no other choice. Pastor Odai then told the couple that if they would choose to have the baby, he would adopt the baby and raise it as his own child. The man began to cry and probably thought to himself, “What manner of love is this?” The family decided to keep the child.

This pastor is often observed by his church members giving money to feed the hungry. I’m not talking about the church’s money, but he goes into his own pocket to give money away. One day he took all of his clothing to training with local pastors. He gave all the clothes away, keeping only one suit for himself. Many pastors in the rural areas in Ghana, West Africa, give up everything to preach the gospel. Many have nothing, nothing but their Bibles. Pastor Odai decided to give to those who were less fortunate than him. One of his church servants witnessed this and began to shoot a video. The pastor said, “No, this is between me and God.” The young man was so inspired, he went home, divided his clothes, and gave half of them away. Why? He was following his leader.

Paul told the Corinthian church to follow him as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). He urged the churches to be imitators of him. He encouraged them to see him as an example of what it means to follow Jesus. He wanted to provide them with an example of what a true follower of Christ looked like. Can we make that same statement to others with the same confidence?

I’ve heard leaders say, “Don’t look at me as an example, look at Jesus. I will fail you!” While I agree that Jesus is the standard, I find that many leaders say this because they are living in habitual sin and don’t want to be held accountable. The Apostle Paul urged the Corinthian church to imitate him (1 Corinthians 4:16). When Paul was writing to the church in Thessalonica, he referred to the church as being followers of him and the Lord. Paul expressed that he had given them an example on how to live godly lives (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:9). He did not exclude himself. He doesn’t give himself a pass. He didn’t express the words we’ve all heard, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

I do not believe Paul was saying this to boast about himself, but I believe he wanted to serve as an example to the church on what it looks like to follow Christ. Paul didn’t just preach and teach the Word of God, but he lived it out before the people. He not only challenged the people with his words, but also with his actions. I’ve always heard the aphorism that “Your best sermon is your life.” I believe it is accurate. People don’t want to hear your words; they want to see your actions.

Whether we are encouraging people to take action on a particular cause or we are reassuring them in the Scriptures, we should be an example for them to follow. Paul told the Philippian church that he could serve as a model for them. He told them to keep their eyes on those who lived as he did (Philippians 3:17). Can we confidently say those words to those who serve under our leadership? Do we serve as a model for being Christ-like? Can we implore them to be imitators of us?

The people who have affected my life the most were the ones whose actions spoke louder than words. Throughout my Christian journey, I have received advice from many people. While I believe most of their motives were pure, their advice did not help me because their lives did not match up. I have become great friends with a wonderful Christian couple. They pray with me and for me. I look at their lives as an example of what it means to follow Christ. They inspire me to be more like Christ every day. I can truly say that when I look at the Nukpors, I can truly follow them as they follow Christ.

Carmille Akande is a licensed attorney, a freelance writer, and a full time missionary in Ghana, West Africa. Carmille blogs at carmilleakande.com, and you can follow her on Twitter @CarmilleAkande.


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