leaders

A while back I blogged about Elders and Deacons. I have been thinking about that some more. Some times you hear stories ( I guess a less nice way of putting it is plain old gossip) about different leaders in Churches. I like what I see in the leadership where I go. Reading in I Timothy chapter 3, I get the feelings leaders need to be examples to those following. What if the leadership does not give a good example to follow? What if Deacons have the morals of an alley cat? Sometimes when it is found out, they may be asked to step down. But what about the younger generation that is looking to the older generation for examples to follow? If they see Deacons fooling around with women other than their wife, don't they give the perception that that behaviour is acceptable? I heard a preacher one time say what one generation allows in their life is the starting point for the next generation. We see a generation coming up that doesn't see the need to get married anymore. One recent television program was talking with a couple and about the difficult time they had in conceiving a child. As the program goes on, it cost them a lot of money to have this child and then it was revealed they were not yet married. They spent all this money to conceive a child yet had not married. We see this again and again. I know of a couple that have been together 20 years, but the man is still married to his wife. The have been separated for the 20 plus years but never divorced. Yet he is living with another woman for 20 years. The property he possesses would go to the wife he has been separated from for the last 20 years instead of the one who has been supporting him for the same 20 years. It just doesn't seem right. I have heard when a past president had the morals of an alley cat and he was popular with the liberal culture in this country, they want you to leave him alone, its his private life. When it is a conservative Judge, they want to crucify him and get him out of office. When corporations find this activity in the life of their CEO, they fire him because it shows poor judgement. Why would it not show poor judgement in the life of a sitting president? The popular president lied under oath, but when a sports figure lies under oath, he is disqualified. If we don't show consistent thinking and responses, what can we expect from the generations following? Anythings goes if it is what you want? I think that is what we are seeing and I believe we are headed for trouble. We need a moral compass. I know all have sinned and fallen short, but the Bible tells us to have leaders that have personal convictions and are examples to those following. I believe more than ever before we need good examples in our leaders both in the church and in our government. I am trying to say what I have to say without developing a legalistic attitude. We need good examples and we need to show mercy, and develop a forgiving spirit. All this needs to fit together without becoming legalistic. Perhaps there still needs to be consequences for bad behavior. Did I really say that, I even prayed for crop failure. God sees the heart of people, he is not deceived as we are. It stands to reason we need his direction. Hope this makes sense to anyone reading it, it did to me as I was writing it.  God Bless, LVZ.