Avoid bad company!

Proverbs 1:10-19

My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.

~~~~~~

One of the most important aspects of wisdom is to recognize right from wrong and to avoid bad company. Children and young people can blindly follow someone who can lead them on the wrong path if they are not taught how to recognise such people and the dangers of associating with them.

The wicked love company and seek ways to add to their numbers. They are always looking for gullible people to influence. Children need to be warned not to be enticed by their promises of personal gain into hurting or harming unsuspecting, innocent people. It may start with a childhood bully in school or in the neighbourhood trying to get a band of people together to join him. They may waylay a lone child in a corridor, beat him up and take away his lunch. Every successful attempt to take advantage of some innocent victim emboldens them to continue in their wicked ways and seek new exploits. They move on to stealing, cheating, bribing and worse as time goes on.

Children and youngsters need to be warned about the dangers of associating with the wrong kind of company. Some are tempted by the power such people enjoy, others by material gain, others by the desire to be popular or to be feared. Wise parents will warn their children at the very first sign of trouble: “What these people do may not at first seem very serious to you, but this kind of attitude and behaviour tends to escalate into more and more wicked and dangerous practices, until such people will stop at nothing, not even murder, to protect themselves and their interests. Stay away from such people, or you will get caught in a way of life far worse than you thought.

"Be alert and watchful and you will clearly see what these people are trying to do and how the gullible get caught in their net. Learn your lesson by observing, and avoid getting trapped! Those who plan evil against others bring down evil upon themselves. Child, don’t go down the path of ill-gotten gain, because it is a path to spiritual destruction!”

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Parents - The Most Important Teachers

(Proverbs 1:8-9)

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.

                        ~~~~~~

These two small sentences contain within them some very basic and important concepts or principles for parenting.

The first principle here is that both the father and the mother are to instruct and teach their children. Fathers cannot leave the upbringing of their children to their wives alone, as many tend to do. Nor can parents expect that merely setting the children a good example is enough for them to learn good habits and values, and leave instruction and education to the schools. Both parents must constantly instruct and teach children moral values as well as skills for living effectively in this world – things that they have themselves learned from their own parents, from life and experience and other sources of knowledge, especially the Bible. Most importantly, they must model and teach a reverential fear of God and what He requires from us.

The second principle here is that children are to obey their parents and do what they say, teach and instruct. Obedience is one of the first lessons a child is to be taught by his or her parents. This is because the natural tendency of children is to do what they want and like. Parents must teach them that they need to do some things even if they are not inclined to do them, because it is the right thing to do. This is because they don’t yet have the knowledge and maturity required to make choices in all matters, and they need to be taught by word and example. Above all, a child who obeys his parents is more likely to be inclined as an adult to obey God.

Thirdly, children who are well taught by their parents, cooperate with them and learn and apply their teachings develop a certain charm and appeal that is more attractive than anything they may adorn themselves with outwardly. People are drawn to them not because of how they are dressed, but because of the beauty of their character.

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Luke 2:51-52:  Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them....And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

The Wisdom of King Solomon

Solomon was the son of King David, born of Bathsheba, who had been the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who served in the King’s army. King David saw her bathing from his roof and had her abducted and fell in love with her. When she got pregnant, he tried to manipulate Uriah to go home and sleep with his wife, so that his adultery would not be discovered, and when that plan failed, he schemed to have Uriah killed at war, and then married his widow. God was angry with David for doing such an evil thing and sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke him and convey God’s judgment upon him, that this child would die and the sword would never depart from his house. David confessed his sin, repented and the Lord forgave him. Soon David and Bathsheba had another child, Solomon, who the Lord loved and blessed.

David seems to have paid special attention to Solomon and taught and instructed him personally, and Solomon took the words of his father to heart. As his father suggested, Solomon desired wisdom above all things, especially after his father David died and he became king of Israel. God blessed Solomon with great wisdom, because he desired it intensely, more than wealth or victory over his enemies (2 Chronicles 1:9-12) and he knew the value of it through his own experiences and through observing others. And, being wise, he taught many, including his own children, and was known as “the Teacher” (Ecclesiastes 1:1).

Solomon reigned as king for 40 years and accomplished an incredible number of things. He was a prolific writer, with great insight, and authored several books including, ‘The Book of Proverbs’, ‘Ecclesiastes’, ‘Song of Solomon’ and ‘Book of the Wisdom of Solomon’, the first three of which are part of the Bible. His diplomatic skills earned him great alliances with some of the greatest powers of his time. He constructed the first and exceptionally grand temple for the worship of God in Jerusalem, after which he constructed a grand palace for himself and other palaces for his many wives, including the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh.

Solomon began and finished many construction projects, including infrastructure to provide water supply in the city, the Milo for the defence of the city, the Ezion-Geber port that facilitated the commercial activities of Israel through a naval fleet he created and commissioned there. The kingdom of Israel prospered and reached the point of its highest glory during Solomon’s reign.

The Bible gives an account of Solomon’s wisdom and achievements in 1 Kings 4:29-34:

“God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.”

All that Solomon did, could not have been possible unless he was an extremely disciplined and organised man, and therefore he knew the value of hard work and discipline. In his writings, he urges people to desire wisdom, seek understanding and insight, live a disciplined life, exercise prudence and discretion and always do what is right and good, motivated by a healthy fear and reverence for the Lord. We can trust the Proverbs, because they are written by a man who knew the meaning of what he wrote, because it all came from what he personally practiced himself or observed by watching people closely. By taking the Proverbs seriously and applying its wisdom to our lives, we can take advantage of the wisdom and experience of the wisest man on earth, avoid costly mistakes and live a life of worth and meaning.

~~~~~~

PROVERBS: A Treasure Trove of Wisdom

The Purpose and Theme of Proverbs

(Proverbs 1:1-7)

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight*;
for receiving instruction in prudent* behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;

for giving prudence to those who are simple*,
knowledge and discretion* to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning* get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles* of the wise.

The fear of the Lord* is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools* despise* wisdom and instruction.

                        ~~~~~~

The book of Proverbs is a treasure trove of wisdom; it is God’s handbook of instruction for living a life of worth and effectiveness. It is essential to study the book of Proverbs, if one wants to gain wisdom and understanding and to apply the teachings of the Bible to practical everyday life. As you read, where you find yourself doubting or disagreeing, dig deeper, for surely there is more to it than meets the eye. Look up the references, use a dictionary and thesaurus and the Holy Spirit will give new insights even to familiar verses and passages. God’s Word is NEVER wrong, so seek understanding and don’t rest until you get to the real meaning behind the proverbs.

Solomon, son of King David is the author of much of the book of Proverbs, but there are some chapters by other wise men that have been included. The purpose of this book is to help us attain wisdom and lead a disciplined life. It helps us give thought to the future, while acting in the present – to be aware of the consequences of our actions and to do what is right, just and fair. Those who lack good sense will learn from Proverbs to think and act in better ways. Children and young people will learn to be careful and have good judgment. There is wisdom here to handle life. Those who are already wise will learn more that will be useful in making good decisions. Those who are already discerning will get good guidance from studying Proverbs and will understand the sayings of the wise, even things that are unclear.

The most important factor in gaining knowledge, acquiring wisdom and discipline is a reverent “fear of the Lord” – an unwillingness to do anything that will displease God. People who fear the Lord always want to do what is good and right in His eyes, because they love, value and revere Him and are afraid of hurting, grieving or displeasing Him. But “fools” ignore wisdom and are not bothered to do the right thing - they disregard it as unimportant. They don’t want to be held to rules that restrict their freedom to do what they want and they reject God’s ways by simply ignoring them.

Therefore, since Proverbs is a book that is aimed at giving us wisdom, it is foolish to neglect it. By doing so, you may bring harm and disaster upon yourself and others. Be wise; study the Proverbs and try to understand and apply them to your life.

Glossary:

*insight: accurate and deep understanding;

*prudent: giving care and thought to the future;

*simple: naïve, gullible, lacking sense, low in intelligence;

*discretion: good judgment, caution, carefulness;

*discerning: having good judgment, able to distinguish or recognize differences;

*riddle: difficult to understand, puzzling;

*Lord: God, king, master, ruler, one who has complete authority over us;

*fool: lacking moral sense, not concerned with right and wrong;

*despise: have contempt for, look down on, disregard, neglect, ignore.

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Discovering our Calling

As Christians, we are a people of faith, right? So, is your faith where you feel it should be? Are you confused and full of doubt?
Do you have a vague sense of dissatisfaction with the way things are in your life?
Do you find yourself getting frustrated or angry with people around you, with your circumstances, with yourself or with God?
Do you find yourself thinking: “If only I had different parents... if only I lived somewhere else... if only I had more money... if only I had married someone else, then my life would be better and I would be happy”?

If this is how you are thinking, let me suggest that you have completely missed the point.
The bible tells us that we are where we are by God’s design. God has determined the exact time and place we are to be born, the family we are raised in, our personal circumstances, and the country where we will live. Within that set of circumstances, he has a plan for our lives that fits in with his greater plan for the world. God has programmed each one of us, so that we are able to find fulfillment only as we fit into his plan for our lives. Anything less than that and there is a nagging sense of something not being quite right with our lives.

So your sense of fulfillment today as well as your reward in heaven for eternity depends on your finding your place in God’s scheme of things. How will you find out what is your calling?
God has created us with specific natures and talents and put us in specific places, which include our families. Our lives are woven together along with the lives of other people around us. All of us, depending on our circumstances, have certain specific roles in our lives. First and foremost, a person is an individual. Then he or she is someone’s son or daughter and often someone’s brother or sister. As we grow, we discovers other roles: as a student, a friend, a relation, a spouse, a parent, an employer or employee, a teacher, mentor or guide, etc. 

Each role carries with it a set of God-given responsibilities. Some roles are to our liking and we readily fulfill them, but others we don’t like so much and we tend to ignore or neglect them. Sometimes we are so focused on one role, that we forget that the others exist and that we have a responsibility towards them. For example, men, who are working often get so absorbed in their professional careers, that they forget they also have certain responsibilities as husbands and fathers. Women often get so absorbed in their roles as mothers, that they forget they have to be supportive of their husbands. And many completely forget that they have a responsibility towards themselves as individuals too. Young people often get so involved with their friends that they forget that they have certain responsibilities as students as well as towards parents and siblings. And then there are our social responsibilities too, which many of us tend to forget about.

Neglect of any role and over-concentration on any, unbalances our life. These neglected roles and responsibilities affect our lives in different ways: in deteriorated relationships, in financial problems, in wrong choices of job or life partner and in various emergency situations. People who are neglecting some important role in their lives or not fulfilling some role effectively are subconsciously aware of a vague sense of dissatisfaction with themselves. They try to cover this up in many ways. Some people take to shifting the blame on others for their troubles. Whatever situation they are in is someone else’s fault. Others try to mask this sense of disquiet by having fun, buying things, indulging in some excess or trying to find satisfaction in some worldly way.

I believe that the key to true fulfillment is to get out of this negative pattern and find your true place in life. How do we do this? We ask God for wisdom to help us find his purpose for our life. And then we just do our best in the roles God presently has for us NOW, trusting that as we obey him in everything as far as we are able, God will unfold his purposes for our lives. 

James 1:5-8 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all he does.”

Most people ask for wisdom and keep looking for an answer. They see everything that is happening as God’s guidance and then are disappointed when things don’t turn out right. This leads to a lot of doubt and confusion and they begin to wonder whether they are getting any guidance at all! This is exactly what James is saying; asking for wisdom and doubting makes you double-minded and unstable, and with this kind of attitude, you cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

So how do we receive? I believe, the answer is to just do the next thing that needs to be done and do it the best way you can and trust God to do his part in his time. Fulfill the roles God has given you as best as you can. God is not suddenly going to call you to something big without preparation. And the way he prepares us is by giving us small responsibilities. As we read in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), he will give us some responsibility according to our ability. Then he will leave us to it. If we neglect our responsibility, even what we have will be taken from us and we will be left unhappy and frustrated. But if we are faithful in little things, he will commend us and give us greater and more significant things to do. As we go through our days faithfully discharging the various roles he has entrusted to us, he will open doors of opportunity to greater things.

Jesus told many parables to illustrate his messages. When he spoke, people were amazed at his wisdom. How do you think he acquired all this wisdom? The Bible does not say anything about Jesus’ education. We only know a little bit about his birth, the visit of the shepherds and of the magi and the first time his parents presented him in the temple as a baby. Then there was the incident when he was 12, when he stayed back at the temple instead of going home with his parents and discoursed with the elders there. After that there is total silence about him until he comes to John to be baptized at the age of 30. The last thing we read about Jesus before he started his ministry is in Luke chapter 2 verses 51 and 52: “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Which means that whatever was expected from him, he did, and did well. Not only was God pleased with him, people were also pleased with him.

We can try and make some educated guesses about Jesus’s life during those hidden years. As a child, he must have been a good natured, cheerful and obedient boy. If he was to be a sinless offering on behalf of all mankind, he had to be sinless as a child too. Which means, he was an excellent son. He was obedient, courteous, helpful and kind. He loved and honored his parents and showed respect and deference to his elders. His father Joseph must have taken him to the synagogue regularly and he would have learnt and memorized the scriptures diligently – so he was also a very good student. 

Where do you think Jesus learned to love little children? After Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had other children. So Jesus was an elder brother. I’m sure his siblings would have been normal children and made their share of mischief. He must have had to gently correct them and teach them by example. He would have protected and defended them, played with them and taught them. He would have perfectly played his role as an elder brother.

Joseph was a carpenter and would have taught the skill to Jesus. Jesus must have learnt diligently and become very skilled at the trade. Whatever Jesus did, he would have done it to the best of his ability and so would have been a very good and skilled carpenter. So as a professional, he discharged his role well too.

Sometime after the age of 12, Jesus lost his father. Perhaps he may have been 15 or 16, but probably not much older. Now, he had to take on the role of head of the family, as he was the eldest male child. He would have had to work hard to provide for his mother and his brothers and sisters at an early age. He had to take on the role of a father and provider and he discharged that too. We see that he didn’t enter public life till he was 30 years of age. Why? Probably because until his brothers were old enough, skilled enough and responsible enough to take over the financial and moral responsibility for the household, he could not leave his family without support. Jesus took his role as provider of the family very seriously. 

He also must have had to teach his brothers the trade in the absence of his father. He would have discharged his role as teacher and mentor also very well. Because of the excellent quality of their work, the family business would have flourished. He would have been a good businessman and very responsible with money. He may have even had hired servants, so he may have been a good and considerate employer too. Finally, when his responsibilities to his family were over and he could leave them in charge of his younger brothers, Jesus only then entered into his ministry of teaching and healing. 

Jesus was also a good friend, to his 12 disciples and to Lazarus, Mary and Martha. We can see how perfectly Jesus discharged every single role God entrusted him with, including his role as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! And don’t forget, even on the cross, he made arrangements to have his mother looked after and gave her to his beloved disciple to comfort him as well.

Did Jesus have a smooth life? Most certainly not. He had to learn many lessons the hard way. He lost his father early and had to take on the heavy responsibility for his large family. He must surely have had a few difficult customers. Perhaps some people tried to cheat him too. Everything Jesus taught to his disciples and to the public must have been from his personal experiences, which means that he must have faced many trials and temptations. He could talk of forgiveness, because he must have experienced hurt and injustice and had to forgive. He spoke of loving your enemies, so he must have had enemies and learnt to show them love. Everything he taught others, he must have practiced himself again and again until it was second nature to him. Remember, that though he was Son of God, he was also son of man, and restricted himself to all the limitations of men, so that he could identify himself with us fully.

My guess is that his own brothers probably resented him. At some point they must have got tired of having this goody-goody brother who could do no wrong. We get a hint of what their feelings were for him in John 7:1-5. The Jewish leaders were looking for a way to kill Jesus, so he did not go to Judea, but went about preaching in Galilee. But his brothers taunted him and told him to go to Judea and do his miracles there openly for the world to see. Can you imagine that his own brothers actually tried to send him where his life would be in danger? Did you ever wonder where his brothers were when Jesus was being crucified? None of them was anywhere near the cross. Leave alone any love for Jesus, not even concern for their distressed and grieving mother brought them there.  Jesus saw that and, rather than leave her in their care, he entrusted her to John, who would honor and cherish her and take care of her.

The point I want to make here is that God trains us the same way he trained Jesus for his calling. Jesus was trained the hard way; why should we expect it to be different for us? Every experience in Jesus’ life, both good and bad served to prepare him for the work God called him to do. The same is true for us too. Jesus submitted to God’s training and discipline. Hebrews 2:10 says that Jesus was made perfect through what he suffered. God prepared him for his ministry for 30 years. Do you think he is going to call you for any work without preparing you for it?

God is not arbitrary in calling us. He works many things together: our nature and specific talents, our circumstances, our desires and interests, the needs of the people around us, our collective experiences, our contacts. Some people discover their calling early, others quite late in life. Others are doing something that they do not find fulfilling and are just plodding on, with a vague sense of having missed something. I believe this is because they have short-circuited God’s plan for them by going their own way and neglecting God’s commands. 

If this is the case with you, let me suggest something I do myself from time to time. Sit down and think about every role you have in your life and evaluate how well you are fulfilling it. Work out how to correct the imbalances, because only then you will find fulfillment or satisfaction. Finding out God’s plan for your life may take time, as it will take some redefining of some of the roles in your life. But it will be well worth it, as there is no way else you can find true fulfillment. The center of God’s will is the best and safest place to be, because that is where you have God’s favor and his help is available to you. 

As you faithfully fulfill each role God has given you, you will be equipped for your calling, because every role and the experiences you accumulate as you fulfill them prepares you for it. Your calling may be big or it may seem small. It may be for ministry or it may be for some secular work. It may even seem unimportant, but in God’s economy, the janitor who turns up regularly and on time and arranges chairs faithfully out of love for God is as important as the evangelist whose preaching causes many souls to be saved. The old lady confined to her bed, who prays fervently, is as important as the missionary who leaves his home and goes to a dangerous mission field. A mother diligently bringing up her children in the fear of the Lord is as important as a surgeon performing a heart operation, sometimes much more. God sees a devoted heart and uses anyone he chooses to fulfill his greater purposes.

God’s Word contains guidance on how to fulfill every role we play in life. As we seek to please him in obeying his commands, we begin to find our relationships improving and our lives turning out to be much better than before. We become more successful in whatever we do, whether it be studying, parenting, our work, our hobbies, our health or our ministries. As we submit to his training, we find doors opening in some area of our lives, and as we prayerfully go through these doors, we find before long that we are finding fulfillment and our calling becomes more and more clear. God is training us for the role he has for us in his greater plan.

Ultimately, our calling is to love God, trust him, follow him and obey him in everything as far as we are able. He knows our weaknesses and he is a merciful God, who weaves our circumstances to accommodate them and still makes something beautiful out of our lives. When we fail because of our weaknesses or because our strength runs out, God is able to pick us up and tie us back into the pattern he is weaving with our lives into the vast and beautiful tapestry of his greater purpose. He molds us like a potter and each of us fulfills a special purpose in his greater plan. We may never know it till we reach his kingdom, and then it will be revealed to us. Until then we only have to trust him and fulfill faithfully whatever roles he has given us for now.

For those of you who feel that there are roles in your lives to which you have not done justice, I would suggest that you take a day or two to do a serious and prayerful evaluation of your life. Identify all the various roles you have, especially those that God has given you and write them down on a sheet of paper. Then look at what occupies your time and attention every day and how it is contributing towards fulfilling your various roles. You will probably find, as I did, that because of a lack of clarity, you have been spending a great portion of your time and energy on things that are not contributing to any of the important roles in your life. But just becoming aware of these roles will help you to identify things you need to do on a day-to-day basis to move forward in each of these areas.

Remember that your first and most important role is as a child of God. Neglecting this role will guarantee that you will never fit into the purpose God has for your life. What are you doing to fulfill that role? Are you nurturing your relationship with God? Are you spending enough time in studying his word and in prayer? Are you looking to him for day-to-day guidance? Are you obeying his commands? Are you holding on to his promises for the future? Your relationship with God will determine how you fulfill the other roles in your life. This is because all the guidance you need on how to fulfill the other important roles in your life is available in his Word, the Bible. As you read and pray, God will guide you step by step in how to fulfill your responsibilities towards your parents, your siblings, your spouse, your children, your employer, your employees, your church, your domestic helpers, even your pets! As you focus on making one small improvement at a time, you will find your life gradually changing for the better and opportunities opening up that you had never thought possible. And, as you walk faithfully in small things, he will gradually give you charge of bigger things. 

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The Purpose of Trials

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

- Romans 8:35-37(NIV)

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A few days ago our Pastor's son got married. Our thoughts and prayers were with the family, as we have seen them go through many severe trials of many kinds. The church looked beautiful and was overflowing with congregation members, family and friends. The service was lovely, the choir sang beautifully, the songs were well chosen and everything flowed smoothly. Of all things, I felt the highlight of the whole service was the sermon, which was perfect and everything a wedding sermon should be. A truly memorable wedding service, followed by a reception that was well organized and planned in a tasteful manner. As I looked around me, I was rejoicing in my heart and praising God for how things were going. It was truly a testimony that glorified God. I later heard that it was raining in different parts of Chennai and in neighbouring areas, but not a drop of rain fell over the open area where the reception was being held. Everything spoke of God's blessing and favour.

Perhaps for many it was just another wedding, a nice one, but not unique in any way. For me and my husband and many others who know them well, it was a time of rejoicing and praising God, because we so much wanted everything to go right. Having seen the family go through all kinds of trials in recent months, our prayer was that all should go smoothly, so that they could rejoice in this important occasion.

Sometimes we wonder why people who serve God sincerely suffer so many trials. It seems that they get double trouble for their faithfulness. You can almost see the fierce spiritual forces arrayed against them, waiting to attack at every opportunity. They are always in need of fervent prayer in order to overcome all that comes against them in various forms.

As I thought about these things, the verse came to my mind: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 

It was an eye-opener.  Yes, it is true that trials make us strong in the faith and teach us perseverance. Through them we are fired in the crucible until all that is impure is turned to ashes and what is left behind is precious gold. Through suffering and obedience we are transformed into the image of Christ. 

But.....

It is not all about us alone. It is about the larger purposes of God. 

Consider this: 

How can a person preach effectively about Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, if he has not been through difficult circumstances and seen God come to his aid?

How can he convince us about God our Healer, unless he has been seriously ill and experienced God's wonderful healing touch?

Can a person who has not gone through severe testing times and seen God's deliverance powerfully preach about God our Deliverer? That when we pass through the waters, they will not sweep over us, and when we pass through the fire, he will not let us be burned?

The testing of our Pastor and his family brings blessings on the congregation who witness the overcoming power of the Holy Spirit in his life and give glory to God. It brings blessing, because the sheep are fed real food that nourishes them and causes them to grow. The fearless preaching comes from true experience and a closer walk with God and has a ring of truth in it.

Does this mean that we are to leave them to it and rejoice that their sufferings are bringing blessing to us? Not at all. The sufferings and trials of a pastor also are a test of his congregation, whether they support him and his family through prayer and practical help. As the congregation members show love and support for their Shepherd, he is strengthened and comforted and his commitment to his loving congregation grows. In the process, both are edified and God's purposes are fulfilled. 

Because after all, it's not about us, is it? It's about God and his glory.

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