The Power of a Good Example

By Rev. Tom Parkinson

 I have a picture on my desk with a wise saying: “The best sermon is a good example.” Nearly every week I pause and look at it as I am preparing Sunday’s message. It reminds me to practice what I preach. Hypocrisy ruins the credibility of a good sermon. While I am far from perfect and have certainly been guilty of hypocrisy at times, I do strive to model what I preach from scripture.

I was recently reminded of the power of setting a good example while studying the book of Titus. Titus was one of the young men Paul was training to be a leader in the church. In Titus 2, Paul gives instructions on what Titus is to teach to various groups in his church. There is a lengthy list of virtues he is supposed to teach the adult men and women – things like temperance, love, and endurance. When it comes time to teach the younger men in his church, Paul lists only one virtue to be taught: self-control. Otherwise, he says, “In everything, set them an example by doing what is good” (Titus 2:7). Paul knows a truth that every parent discovers: children learn much more by watching what we do than they do by listening to what we say.

As a dad, I’ve been humbled many times by calling out bad behavior in my children only to have them inform me that it is a behavior they learned by watching me (What parent hasn’t found themselves saying to their children, “Do as I say, not as I do!”?). I often struggle to believe that my children are listening to me when I talk, but I’ve learned the hard way that they are ALWAYS watching me! I am teaching them a lot (for good or for ill) by the example I set.

Not all of us are parents, but I believe God has given each of us a sphere of influence. God has placed people in your life who you have the power to form and shape – family, friends, co-workers, etc. Whether you realize it or not, someone is always watching you. They are watching the way you manage stress, handle adversity, deal with disappointments, and respond when things don’t go your way. What kind of example are you setting? Do the people God has placed in your life find you modeling for them how to follow Jesus? Are you setting a good example?