ARE YOU GOD?

The world is a different place when it is viewed through the eyes of a child.  So, by the way, is the church.  I was reminded of this last Friday as my wife and I were out doing our usual grocery shopping routine.  We ran into a mother from our church who was shopping with her children.  As we talked, her little boy, who was sitting in the grocery cart, looked up at me and asked me this pointed question:

"ARE YOU GOD?"

Several possible answers went through my mind, such as:

"Only on Sundays, Son!"

"No, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night!"

"My wife thinks I am!"

The truth is that we all had a good laugh at this cute display of innocence.  But it was obvious from the expression on this little guy's face that he was very serious in his inquiry.

The more I thought about this encounter, the more his question became a convicting challenge.  In the eyes of this little guy, because he only sees me every Sunday on stage at church preaching from the Bible, I am to some degree associated with God.

In our culture today, in the eyes of children sports athletes, movie stars and rock stars are put on a "look-up-to" level.  Unfortunately, many of them fail to live up to that expectation.

But to the children at church, the pastor is also on a "look-up-to" level.  This means that as a pastor, I have a huge need to "walk the talk," not just when I'm preaching on the stage on Sunday, but also when I'm walking through the grocery store on Friday.

No, my little friend, I am not God.  But thank you so very much for the reminder that "little eyes" in my church" are "looking up to me."  Like the Apostle Paul, may each pastor in America, including myself,  be able to say with genuine sincerity to people of all ages in our churches,

"Follow me as I follow Christ!"