Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Mirror-Images”
“Do not envy violent people; don’t copy them...’" – Proverbs 3:31 (NLT)
During the Calvin Coolidge administration, an overnight guest at the White House was very nervous about eating breakfast with the president and his wife. He was afraid of doing something improper or impolite during the meal, so he decided to just do whatever the president did. President Coolidge sat down at the table and, to the surprise of the guest, poured some of his coffee from the cup in the saucer. The guest did the same thing. Next, the President poured some cream and sugar into the saucer. The guest casually did the same thing. But the guest didn't know what to do when the President picked up the saucer and put it on the floor for the cat! Events over the past couple of decades have proven what many of us have discovered over the years—mankind, as a whole, is primarily followers. There are a very select few who are what we would deem to be, “leaders.” Those who inspire others by either their words or actions—prompting those around them to “follow them” anywhere and everywhere they go—having them do anything and everything they ask. We are very familiar with a number of them. Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun, Charlemagne (aka, Charles the Great), Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolph Hitler just to name a few. For reasons known only to those who believed and followed, these individuals inspired thousands, even millions to help conquer lands and lead the weak into their servitude. Men like Jim Jones and David Koresh are painful reminders to many in our era as to what can happen when we mistake leadership with lunacy. Lives were lost—families destroyed simply because these individual were able to coerce the weak into believing in something that was in the end false. Isn’t it unfortunate that when we think of great “leaders” it is typically those who were either great military minds or dictators? Or, how about sports figures? Are they to be considered “Role Models?” Many are because we see their success and we hear of the millions of dollars they are making as a result of their success. Tiger Woods has made millions thanks to his talent and has also ruined his marriage thanks to his arrogance. Last year’s bru-ha-ha over where professional basketball player and the National Basketball league’s most valuable player LeBron James would play the next year captured not only media attention but it literally held at least five cities captive! Those cities spent thousands of dollars on advertising trying to court one man in playing basketball for their team. That, friends, is not only power, that is greed at its peak and what is worse is how many young people want to be like these individuals!! Men of violence…hate…and greed. Quite unlike what we are told to be like from Scripture. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2, NIV)
Scripture does not call us to imitate men, but to be imitator's of Christ! "Follow Me..." was Jesus word's to the twelve. Imagine that…a man of peace. A leader who instead of conquering with the sword conquered with love. That is an image that I want to mirror!
Pastor J. T. Carnell