“Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.“ ~2 Th 3:9

The theme that stood out to me was “lead by example.” It’s a classic phrase that many repeat but rarely live by.

There’s a leadership book by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller called, “The Secret.” It’s written as a fable to deliver the outcome of research done to determine what great leaders know and do. What’s the secret? Great leaders S.E.R.V.E.

I won’t ruin the surprise of finding out what each letter stands for except for the last one: Embody the values.

The main idea is that great leaders embody the values of the culture they want everyone to experience. “Embody” is a visual word. It triggers the mind to picture a person whose entire way of being (actions, mindset, presence), represents an idea.

Today’s Gospel and Paul’s epistle link to this concept of embodying the values of God’s people. Paul is strongly encouraging the Church of Thessalonica to imitate its leaders (apostles, deacons, priests) because they are actively modeling the Christian way of living. In the Gospel, Jesus is calling the scribes and Pharisees out in their hypocrisy, “…You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.” (Mt 23:27) Both, Paul and Jesus, are pointing to the need for role models to demonstrate and live with aligned beliefs and actions.

Let’s bring this closer to home and assess where we are.

When I think of the people I listen to for advice and try to imitate, do they show consistent alignment in their actions and beliefs? Do they align with Catholic teachings and traditions?
If I were to review my life as a third party observer, would I conclude that I consistently live in accordance to my best understanding of Catholicism or do I give myself a pass in certain areas of life?

I don’t expect 100% perfection. That’s not human. The goal is to honestly assess where I stand. The first time I did this assessment I identified two things.

It took me years to notice I was following a few people who share excellent wisdom and modeled good principles but there were inconsistencies in their personal stories and questionable actions in other areas of life. So, I limited my exposure to them and found other people to follow.
I admitted that living like a proper Catholic was good until what I had to do got in the way of something I really enjoyed doing. I was giving myself the benefit of doubt too easily in some areas more than others.

If you take time to assess your role models and yourself, remember there’s no need to judge your findings positively or negatively, it’s only more information for you to keep improving your spiritual journey.

What’s highlighted for me by Paul and Jesus is that God’s people are being held to a standard that goes beyond “actions speak louder than words.” We are called to embody the life of Christ which required the full commitment of the will, body, mind, and soul.

On his way to Calvary, Jesus didn’t say a word. Yet, it was the most impactful lesson of all. To paraphrase John 15:13, there’s no greater love than to lay down our lives for our friends.

I leave you with a bonus question: if I were to watch my life as a silent movie, would I be able to tell I am a follower of Christ and member of God’s Kingdom?

In peace,

~Juan