PREACHERS AND POLITICIANS

A couple of politicians have been in the news recently because their adulterous relationships have been exposed. One of these men is supposed to be a born again Christian and a member of a Pentecostal church. He was also very involved in Promise Keepers. The other is an Episcopal. As Governor of his state, he opposed faith-based license plates. He wrote,
“It is my personal view that the largest proclamation of one's faith ought to be in how one lives his life."
One lesson we learn from this is that when you do wrong, you will probably get caught. That shouldn’t be our main motivation to not sin, but fear of getting caught is part of what keeps me straight. That’s why most of us don’t drive 100 mph and run red lights. We don’t want a ticket. If you think you can cheat on your spouse and no one will find out, you are wrong.
Another lesson is that hypocrisy is hated. Both of these men lived lives that didn’t match up with their words. Of course, politicians are famous for making campaign promises that they don’t deliver. This brings me to the connection to preachers. Which is more important in leading churches and reaching people – trust or charisma?
Many politicians have a lot of charisma. They smile a lot, shake hands, kiss babies, and try to tell you what you want to hear. In our media age, charisma can go a long way in helping a person get elected.
For preachers, there is nothing wrong with smiling a lot, shaking hands, and kissing babies. There’s nothing wrong with personal charisma. What will really help us, though, to be attractive to people is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, and peace. I like people who show that they care for me. I like to be around people who show a true joy in living. I feel better being with people who exhibit peace even in tough situations. This is also true for patience and humility and gentleness. One of the best things you can do for your marriage is to walk in the Spirit each day. One of the best things you can do as a Christian to reach others is to walk in the Spirit each day.
But if we are talking about personal charisma and charm, than trust is much more important in reaching others and being a leader. You don’t have to have a life of the party personality to build a church. People are watching us. They want to follow someone they can trust. Some preachers are like politicians in that they are making promises that they don’t fulfill. After a while, people learn that the pastor doesn’t really mean what he says. Congregations get whiplash from all the new programs that some pastors keep promoting. And they certainly expect us to live what we preach.
I’m all for new ideas. I like to hear how other people are doing what I want to do. We may find a new method that really helps.But its much more important that we are Sprit-filled people of integrity