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When General George Marshall took over the Infantry school at Fort Benning, Georgia, the place was in terrible shape. Rather than ordering his men to renovate, he got out the paintbrushes and fixed up his own quarters. When the others saw him do it, they followed his example. Leading by example is one of the principles the Apostle Paul urged Titus to practice, and to pass on to church leaders. We read this in Titus Chapter 1: “An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation of being wild or rebellious. An elder is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he’ll be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.” Even though we may live in a different culture from the one Paul had to confront, still, the principles remain, and leading by example never goes out of style.
