So, I was at a funeral this week... yep, I know that's an interesting start to a post, but just go with it! And, no, a "reader" isn't referring to reading a book. Anyway, I was at a funeral this week and the pastor (a Southern, back-country man) gave a sermon on being not a reader, but a leader.
He opened up his message with the recent rapture "prediction" that that world has been consumed with as of late. He talked of how you can't trust people or what they say, because our world is messed up and crooked. He made reference to many years ago when one could trust what was on the news or in the newspaper. THEN, he said the point of his sermon (and the title of this post)--world has become a nation of "readers, not leaders." The analogy he gave is how new anchors, simply, read what's on the screen. They don't deliver the news anymore, or invest in the afflictions of the world. They only read off of a teleprompter. I hadn't really thought of this, I guess. But it's so true. We only want to follow directions or instructions and not really lead others or encourage others. We get hung up on the details of things and don't take time to invest in people or situations.
This can translate into our spiritual walk, as well. We, as Christians, are called to be "doers of the Word." James commands of this in his book (1:22). We're not commanded to ONLY read scripture or to ONLY serve in our churches when we can, but we're called to be leaders of the Faith and followers of Christ. We are called to build others up and lead them to the One who will never deceive.
A reader only reads things to tell others of something. A leader invests in something, researches it, lives it, and spreads it. I hope and pray that each of you will be leaders, and NOT readers.
Which one are you?
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