Relying on the Right Examples

I started playing golf in high school and was taught by a few golf hackers. Needless to say, I developed some bad habits by learning from bad examples. It wasn’t until years later that I was gifted a few lessons from a golf pro and we had to go all the way back to the basics of grip, approach, and alignment to completely rebuild a golf swing.  I’m still not good, but at least I have learned from good examples and have a foundation to build off.

We are so eager to “get the Christian life” that we readily accept advice from anyone that quotes a Bible verse or claims to be a believer. In this quest, we can begin to follow bad examples that are rooted in ego, pride, and agendas.  As the disciples desired to learn how to pray in Matthew 6, Jesus pointed to the bad examples of what not to do before He turned His attention to modeling how to pray following a good example.

We should lean into this and be on our guard.  This doesn’t mean that we must resist earthly examples, but we should filter those examples with the authority of the Word to ensure that we are walking with proper motives and growing in grace.