Great People of God

I remember some great men of God from my youth. Men whom I really looked up to. Men I'd like to have been like. And, because my father was a minister, our home was often visited by some of these great men.

I was just a little child when I began to perceive the greatness of some of these men. I had the privilege of sitting (quietly, on instructions, for those were the days when little children were to be seen and not heard) and listening to their discussions on the things of God.

There were times when I was asked to leave the room.They had some delicate or private matters to discuss. I seemed always to be welcome when they discussed the Scriptures and the greatness of God, but I was left out when they had to discuss the personal problems and weaknesses of a brother in Christ.

I sometimes thought that was mean of them, because I did suspect that those private matters were more interesting...

Because my father was a senior officer in his denomination, he was occasionally consulted when a "great" man of God had done something, or was accused of doing something, wrong. The matter was dealt with where and how it should have been - by the designated leaders of that church.

Can I appeal to you to leave in the hands of God, and in the hands of the designated leaders of the church, the whole matter regarding Jimmy Swaggart's confessed sin? Prayer is better than gossip. Idle curiosity produces questions which themselves create new gossip. Forgiveness is more godly than condemnation. You and I don't have access to the facts in any case, so our best approach to the matter is to pray for everyone concerned!!

And whether the accused or the accuser is wrong, does that somehow lessen the truth and value of the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? If the accused has indeed sinned, or even if not, great damage is being done once again to the faith of many!

Why? Why is the faith of some being damaged?

Could it possibly be that we, as Christians, have a twisted sense of heroism? A false view of "greatness"?

Looking back at the "great" men of my youth, I see now that this "greatness" was merely because one had a great personality, another had a great command of English, still another had a great oratorical ability. And others seemed to get their greatness from the great clothes they wore!

But what really constitutes greatness in the Kingdom which God controls?

Jesus' disciples were troubled with the same question. Read Matt. 18:1-7: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying ` Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, `Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one little child like this in My name, receives Me. BUT whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes."

Let's us not forget that each of us one day will give account to God - and that should be a serious enough matter to keep most of us occupied with our own relationship with Him.

Let each of us also determine in our own mind that we will do nothing to add to the damage already being inflicted on the Church of Jesus Christ. May none of us, you or I, ever be the one through whom offense comes: through whom someone's faith is destroyed. "May the words of my lips, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, Oh my Lord and my Redeemer"

And may we get our eyes off the greatness of man, and onto the greatness of God.