January: Personal Life
Some things may be neglected with but little loss to the spiritual
life, but to neglect communion with God is to hurt ourselves where we
cannot afford it. The Root of the Righteous, page 9
January 8 Personal Life: People Follow Leaders Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. --1 Corinthians 11:1 The history of Israel and Judah points up a truth taught clearly enough by all history, viz., that the masses are or soon will be what their leaders are. The kings set the moral pace for the people.... Whatever sort of man the king turned out to be the people were soon following his leadership. They followed David in the worship of Jehovah, Solomon in the building of the Temple, Jeroboam in the making of a calf and Hezekiah in the restoration of the temple worship. It is not complimentary to the masses that they are so easily led, but we are not interested in praising or blaming; we are concerned for truth, and the truth is that for better or for worse religious people follow leaders. A good man may change the moral complexion of a whole nation; or a corrupt and worldly clergy may lead a nation into bondage.... Today Christianity in the Western world is what its leaders were in the recent past and is becoming what its present leaders are. The local church soon becomes like its pastor. God Tells the Man Who Cares, 59-60. "That's a heavy responsibility for any leader to bear, Lord, but it's one I realize we have to carry. That makes moral failure or even carelessness and lax discipline so tragic. Strengthen me in the power of Your Holy Spirit today, that I might be a leader worth following. Amen."
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