James 3:1-2 KJV
My
brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater
condemnation.
For
in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
There is in these verses an
implied lesson that might often get missed; the reason one should hesitate
taking leadership[1] is
because none of us are perfect. None of us so bridle our tongues and tame our temperaments
that we never speak anything offensive.
· Sometimes
our flesh gets the better of us and we say things that should never have been
said
· Sometimes we
say what needs to be said but imperfectly
We attempt to speak the truth
in love and let our speech be with grace, but we fail. We are taken wrong. Our
words come short of the message we sincerely and lovingly wished to convey.
This is no reason, of course,
to disobey the calling of Christ into ministry positions. If He calls, He will
equip. But it does provide for two lessons for the day:
One, let the preacher[2] be humble.
He is called and equipped but
he is not perfect.
Two, let the congregation be gracious.
He is called of God and
equipped for his work, but he is, after all, no more perfect than the
congregation.
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