Leading by Example

Submitted by Jarvis Howe

When it comes to witnessing to others and to letting Jesus’ light shine through us, maybe we put a little too much pressure on ourselves. I’ve never been the outspoken type and I see a parallel between playing sports and witnessing for Jesus (Is there anything sports can’t teach us?).

I ate, slept, and breathed baseball as a kid, but I was never much of a “cheerleader” in the dugout. Some of the other guys would be right up on the top step of the dugout cheering our team on and inventing clever and sometimes not so clever things to shout either to encourage our players or to taunt the opposing players (the classic “we want a pitcher, not a belly-itcher” comes to mind). Most of the time, however, I said little. I was every bit as excited as them, probably more so, but being loud and boisterous did not come naturally to me. However, I was reminded by my parents that verbal encouragement was not the only way to be a leader. They told me that leading by example could be just as powerful. So I did. I kept my head down, worked hard, and stayed humble, and used one-on-one opportunities to talk with my teammates and encourage them.

I haven’t changed much as an adult. When it comes to sharing the gospel and God’s love, I prefer to do so in the confines of a one-on-one relationship, rather than shouting it from the rooftops. As other introverts will know, in a world that values extroversion, it can sometimes take a long time to come to terms with the fact that that’s okay. Regardless of how you choose to go about witnessing, it’s important to walk the walk as well as talk the talk, maybe even more so. I try to be mindful of that as my wife and I spend time around other people, especially other couples. With the state of marriages these days it seems especially important to model Christian marriages to others. The hope would be that others see your marriage and think, “I want what they’ve got.” And this is not because your marriage is perfect but because they can see the grace, forgiveness, and love that comes from God that allows you to keep moving toward each other despite the flaws in both yourself and your spouse. Leading by example in that way can give you the opportunity to share Jesus and His love with others. Even remarks at the expense of your spouse, which are often made in jest, can make others wonder if there’s a grain of truth to the put-down. Lifting your spouse up in front of others can be such a huge confidence boost for him or her and lets other people know how much you value your spouse and how much you love and respect him or her. Maybe Ephesians 4:29 says it best, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

God bless,

Jarvis