Training To Be Me?

This picture says it all. This young lady was a camper at LFYC. She showed up to breakfast one morning sporting this handmade t-shirt that said "Paul in Training" on the front and "Training To Be Paul Turner" on the back. This was pretty humbling. It made me reallize how important our example is to others.

Whether you are a parent, youth worker, student or just Joe Average you are influencing somebody. Some of it is intentional but most of it is not. Our stories, are being played out before everyone and it matters.

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:2,3

Our story are always being written and some stories are being re-written. Unqualified people too often have pens in their hands attempting to write more action, sex, drama, pain and many other themes into our lives. The Apostle Paul took his influence seriously. He saw people as blank pieces of paper. People of a clean start in Christ. He saw his influence not as a the written code to be enforced but of relationships written on and in the human heart.

I was honored that she wanted to be like me. I quoted the Apotle Paul, 'Follow me as I follow Christ." To quote scripture (too often as code and law) rings hollow when not intertwined with a loving friendship. Paul said it best in I Corinthians 1, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.". The law without love is lifeless.

Who are you training? Intentionally or unintentionally? I'll have some more thoughts on intentional training in my next post.

Blessings and Peace

Paul Turner