I will always recall one of my Bible teachers telling us, "boys you have to learn to preach across the gap." Of course we struggled to understand what Brother Carr was talking about. His response has stayed with me all these years, "Boys, you are going to have to learn early on that you can't live perfect lives, but you have to preach a perfect gospel. Sometimes that means you have to preach lessons that are mighty close to home.
There are places in our lives where we all have to preach across the gap. It is hard to train and correct our children when they throw our own failures and inadequecies up in our face. In teaching a Bible class we sometimes have to deal with topics that haven't quite mastered in our own lives. Some people may call this hypocrisy, but the truth is that we are called to "preach the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).
Recently I have been facilitating a men's study/prayer group on Monday mornings. It is a thrill to have a such a great group of men who are committed to starting their week with Christ. Our current topic of discussion is Patrick Morley's book, "The Man in the Mirror." The title alone illustrates how hard it is to facilitate this discussion. Reading each chapter and trying to evaluate my own life is painful at times. I know the lessons we share on Monday are helping me, challenging me, but sometimes it is like a doctor probing around for an abcess. When he finds the troubled area - it doesn't feel very good.
Preachers aren't the only ones who have to cross that chasm. We all have the difficult challenge of living what we believe and teach. That should also remind us of the importance of showing some grace and understanding to those who walk in leadership positions. They don't live perfect lives, but like the rest of us, they pursue that perfect pattern.
