Matthew 11:1

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.”

Jesus didn’t just tell the disciples to do something; He modeled what He wanted them to do. He took them along. After commanding them, He now went ahead to show them how to do what He was expecting them to do. They saw Him do it practically, and such practical lesson-demonstrations are the way He imbibed in them, His own culture of ministry.

Do we want to reproduce our own culture of doing things? Do we want to influence people to do things in a particular way? The key is to have people watch us do it. Taking people along and modeling expectations institutionalize practice. We need more leaders who show us how to do things by doing it first as examples. There are too many armchair leaders who tell people what to do and how to do it, but never show them the practical pattern of doing it. Be a leader who models leadership by lifestyle.

“Lord, make me an example to those around me, in Jesus name. Help me to model the life I teach and be the living and breathing portrayal of what I expect from others. May my values and priorities be seen, more in my life, than in my words. In Je