Break Out – Day 8

A young preacher continually asked the famous Francis of Assisi to teach him what he knew about preaching. One day, Francis agreed to take him with on one of his visits with the words: “Today I am going to a neighbouring city to preach. You can come with me to see how it is done.”

The whole day, Francis and the young preacher walked through the main and back streets of the city. To some locals, they gave advice, to others, just a smile and many were inspired by a word of encouragement. They literally rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people.

By the end of the day, Francis prepared himself to leave when the young preacher, surprised and somewhat disappointed, said: “But you have not preached or spoken about Jesus? Wasn’t that the aim of our visit?” Francis smiled before he answered: “We preached everywhere we went today. Many people saw us and because they know we are Christians, they closely watched how we acted. There is no point in preaching if our lives aren’t a sermon in itself.”

Think for a moment how you act when a careless driver cuts in front of you in traffic, when your grumpy boss unnecessarily shouts at you, when your teen makes another sarcastic remark, when you again have to pick up your spouse’s clothes from the floor or your neighbour’s dog digs holes in your yard. Do you lose your temper while screaming and shouting, or do you demonstrate Jesus’ character by the way you act amidst those uncomfortable situations?

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul wrote: “Follow my example, as I follow Christ’s example.” Paul understood that no words are as powerful as his example. He demonstrates Jesus’ character.

Therefore, before you want to preach to those around you, make sure your life is a sermon in itself. At the end, that is the most powerful message you will ever convey. God bless.