“Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.” – Titus 2:2-3
Have you ever thought of yourself as a role model?
We all have role models, people who we look up to and try to emulate. We may even have several role models, some related to family life, some to work, some to faith, and some to whatever else is important to you.
Other people, of course, also have role models. Is it possible that you are a role model for someone else?
Role Models Come In All Shapes and Sizes
You don’t have to be world-renowned in a field to be a role model. You may simply be a hard worker at your job or a good friend to a neighbor. You may be someone in the church who people admire for your service or faithfulness. You may be a mom or a dad or a brother or sister.
What is described in Titus 2 is simply the older members of the church being temperate, worthy of respect, and reverent. By living godly lives, they are becoming good role models.
Sometimes It Isn’t a Choice
I can think of a few musicians and professional athletes who have done some pretty bad things who were asked,
“What about all the kids who look up to you?”
Then the musician or athlete says something like,
“I didn’t ask to be a role model!”
Sometimes we don’t have to ask to be a role model and don’t even get a choice. Sometimes we are a role model because of who we are or what we do. For example, if you’re a Mom or Dad, guess what? You’re a role model.
Sometimes we know we are a role model and sometimes we don’t even realize it. Our best choice is to just assume we are and live accordingly.
Role Models Fail
One of the sad things about those musicians and athletes mentioned above is that they missed out on a great opportunity. Rather than rejecting the notion of being a role model, they could have owned up to what they did, admitted it was wrong, and sought forgiveness and to make things right.
Being a role model doesn’t mean we have to be perfect. None of us are. How we handle our failures…and there will be failures…is just as important and how we succeed, maybe even more important.
Can we admit where we’ve done wrong? Can we ask for forgiveness?
When we do, we become real. We are no longer super-human. We are just like the people looking up to us. They will fail, too. So, we demonstrate something very important, how to deal with those failures.
The Greatest Role Model
In the end, the greatest role models are those who can demonstrate in both their successes and failures that life is all about living in the grace of Jesus. We look to Him for everything, especially for forgiveness.
Dear Jesus,
Help me to live my life in a way which reflects You to others. I may never know who is looking up to me, but I pray that when they do, they see You, especially when I fail.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
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