As I a young Christian, I spent lots of time around numerous prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers when they ministered at our church. Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, these people were awesome. The gifts. The miracles. The signs and wonders. Their ministry examples triggered my desire to be like them whenever I ministered.
However, there was also a downside to all of this because I was with them when they were offstage. And what I often saw sickened me and turned me off to the whole ministry game.
There was greed, envy, selfish ambition, gossip, lousy jokes and more. It was really bad! And yet, they would walk back out every evening and the anointing would be awesome.
But there was one man who was different from all of the others. A person who walked in humility and love. An apostle with works in Africa. If you needed money, he reached into his own pockets. If that wasn’t enough, he would mortgage his house or another asset to help out.
The man of God he was on stage, he was no different off stage. He was the real-deal, a 24/7 example for me to pattern my life after.
Remember: If you are a leader, it’s not so important what you say, but rather, it will be your example and 24/7 pattern of life that will change people’s lives.
(See here.)
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian jouneys.
Larry Who 
AMEN!!! My life has been changed by one such person on so many levels. They’ve raised the bar for me in my own life so much…
We are to be holy… as Christ was holy. Using the gifts God has given us (without repentance) and then going back to life the way we want… just sickens me. How dare we? It cheapens it and makes us look like fools to the world. It cheapens Christs blood!
This just aches my heart in my own life so deeply… By the grace of God I’m better than I was… but thank you Jesus for your mercy!
Nice commentary today, Larry. So true, and my experience has run into similar lines.
But these experiences are what taught me truth about how I am to live. For me, it takes hitting my head against the wall in anguish to see my own shortcomings, and blessings.
I never realized, for instance how much I DO use my gifts in everyday life… not to say I don’t fail sometimes.
I did comment to you on my blog, but it’s under the comments of a community that moves, I have to combine sometimes! Peace and blessings to you! cindy