Having said that, today I only have two serious concerns about this man called a “man of God.” I pray the Lord may give you grace to hear them.
The first thing that gives my soul sleepless nights about the man of God is that he has been elevated too much, especially in this Black Land of ours. He is viewed as a DIFFERENT individual who is almost like a god or something. The so-called “men of God” of our time have an unhealthy view about their self-impotence until they have so projected their images into untouchables who can neither be corrected nor criticized. These pitiful souls – Lord have mercy – claim to have a special anointing that sets them far apart from other believers, such that God’s people cannot get blessings from God unless they tape into his “alter”, with a thick "seed" envelope, of course. We have a name for that kind of thing, it’s called a false prophet. Because the reality is that there is no “great man of God.” All of us are born sinners, twice dead until the grace of our Lord found us. Hence we do not need any human mediator between God and man because Christ our great High Priest has passed into the heavens to intercede on our behalf. Therefore, a true man of God must not be DIFFERENT from his people, because he is saved, and sanctified by the same grace as everyone else.
My second concern is the opposite of what’s described above. That is, as much as a “man of God” is to identify with fellow believers, he is, nonetheless, not everybody’s play buddy. I have noticed a growing trend of “modern Pastors” who just don’t look like men of God at all. They work so hard to make themselves “cool” and casual, until the word “Pastor” becomes an oxymoron (contradiction of who they are). That is wrong, in my opinion. A man of God must be different; there must be something about him that makes him distinct and unique, such that even his congregates have that sense of “fear” when he is among them. Let’s get more specific…
The way a man of God conducts himself
Here, I do not mean sinful behavior, but I am all about things that are permissible even to the godliest among us. Thanks to our Christian liberty, there is a lot of stuff that believers can do and enjoy, yet I do not hold the same opinion about the one who is called a man of God. For example, I have been accused of being boring in church because I never want to join others in dancing for the Lord. And the truth is, I do not imagine myself dancing in church (or anywhere else in public) anytime soon. It’s because I feel like it’s improper for someone in my position as a Gospel minister to be seen dancing his shoes off in public. I am sure I would even disappoint a few believers with that kind of behavior, even though it’s not sinful. And I feel the same way about my fellow shepherds. If there is a verse that is close enough to prove my point, it would be this one “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer (2 Tim 2:4)”. Here is another one, “Do not have anything to do with godless myths and fables of old women. Instead, train yourself to be godly (1 Tim 4: 7).” The point is, it's fine when other church members do such things as fun activities, video games, TV dramas and anything else that can amuse the mind, but not the chosen ministers. Instead, a servant of the Lord must have limits in these time-consuming trivialities, so that he can spend his energy on that which benefits the soul, to keep his mind sharp for Gospel service. This is exactly what the good apostle meant when He said, “Everything is permissible to me by not everything is helpful (1 Cor 10:23).” These are things that make a man of God different from others, at least that is what God’s people expect from him.
The way a man of God dresses
I am well aware that there is enough freedom in Christ that allows us all to dress in any fashion style of our choosing. However, I am still confused by the fact that citizens who go for a job interview are strict about dressing themselves formally, the same with those attending a funeral. Why? It is because such occasions are believed to be “respectable”, hence the dignified kind of dressing. For this same reason, I believe there is a far much more dignified place than a funeral, It’s the house of the Lord! Which means men, especially those who are consecrated to serve in that sanctuary must dress like they respect the presence of God, most particularly when that man stands to minister. Yet again, how saddened I am by the fact today’s “men of God” seem to have lost this principle! They are certainly not bothered to ascend the pulpit with skinny jeans and tight golf t-shirts. It’s like they are working so hard to identify with the world, and the latest fashion trends. Years ago, if you were a visitor in some religious place, you would not wait to be told who the Pastor was, because you would easily identify him by the way he clothed himself. Therefore, I advise my fellow “men of God”, let’s not be ashamed of our suits, formal shirts and the like; that is how we are identified as the servants of the Most High. Because a man of God must be different from the rest of the crowd, including the way he dresses.
The way a man of God talks
“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving (Eph 5:4).” These verses are addressed to all believers, of course, however, they are all the more applicable to the minister himself, for he is an example to the flock. It means even what comes from his mouth – even in normal conversations – must also be accompanied by an atmosphere of being different; a mouthpiece from heaven. This means there are some words that a servant of God would never allow to come out of his mouth. So that he can proudly say with Paul, “Imitate me as Imitate Christ.”
Summary
A man of God must not be DIFFERENT from fellow saints because the ground is level at the foot of the Cross. However, as much as we are all equal in Christ, those who are ministers have been gifted with a higher responsibility among us, therefore, they are expected to be ahead in all aspects of the Christian life. They must not seek to be like the world, but they must embrace their distinct role and privilege of being carries of this divine Message. Hence we expect them to walk like it, to talk like it and to dress like it. Thus what it means to be different in the right way.
Sinothi Ncube
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