Preacher Lessons and Mighty Men
Early in my Christian life I was blessed with a preacher who was bigger than life to me. He and his wife were instrumental in helping my wife and me early in our marriage figure out that it wasn’t a 50-50 proposition, but it actually required 100 percent effort from each of us in order for us to be successful. They exemplified that in their own married life to us.
He also left me with many expressions that I’ll never forget. “I’ve got a good mad on and I’m going to keep it for a while”, was one that probably wasn’t the best to emulate. On preaching he taught me that “if you throw a rock into a pack of hounds it’s the one you hit that hollers the loudest.” That has come in pretty handy as I’ve filled in preaching for various congregations through the years and have sometimes met some less than kind comments from a listener. One that I have found challenging was his approach to loving people who are not very loveable. He would say a prayer something like this – “Lord, you love them through me until I learn to love them myself.” I don’t know how theologically correct any of his thoughts were, but they have stuck with me and in their own way have encouraged me and shaped me into the man I am today.
Perhaps the most lasting of the lessons from my old preacher came in sermon form one Sunday morning. The sermon was entitled “Mighty Men.” It initially struck a chord with me because it drew upon one of my favorite childhood stories about the mighty men of King David in the book of 2 Samuel chapter 23. There he recounted the exploits of men who were totally devoted to their leader, whether facing impossible odds on the battlefield, taking on personal challenges that would make most of us faint from fear, or responding to a casual comment from their leader about a refreshing drink of water. In the end he challenged each of us in the congregation to become mighty men and women in the Kingdom of God. That morning was lifechanging for me. The challenge was real to me, and I made the commitment to be like David’s mighty men and serve the Lord in whatever way he wanted to use me. This introverted, musically challenged young twenty something guy began helping with the children’s program by being the up-front guy as we sang songs, had some fun, and prepared to be in classes to learn more about God. A husband and wife who were not as involved before became teachers in children’s Bible classes for the first time. Eventually a job was left, a move hundreds of miles away from family was made, education was gained, and ministry opportunities of many different types have been accepted and accomplished. And now this still introverted, musically challenged, old sixty something guy is still finding opportunities to serve the Lord.
My old preacher and his wife have both gone on to their eternal reward now. But the legacy they have left behind by the lives they touched continues. And I don’t know what legacy, if any, I will leave behind, but my hope is that I have made a difference in the lives of people along the way. And maybe, just maybe, someone will remember something I’ve said or done that has encouraged them to be a mighty servant in God’s kingdom. Be a mighty man or woman for God.
-Phil Miller