I recently started reading through the gospels chronologically. One thing that caught my attention a couple of days ago was the contrast of faith between Zacharias and Mary. Check it out here:
Luke 1:30-34 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Luke 1:13-14 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
One person was a high-ranking religious leader, the other a teenage girl. One showed great faith with the announcement of a miracle child, the other completely doubted, and contrary to what we’d normally think, it was the priest who doubted and the young lady who showed great faith!
Sometimes I think we need a reminder that faith and spiritual maturity have nothing to do with status, position, or age. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the “big faith moments” are only reserved for spiritual leaders!
We tend to put pastors and other spiritual leaders on a pedestal, but pastors struggle with and are susceptible to the exact same sins that any other Christian is: lust, pride, apathy, selfishness, greed, gluttony, doubt, etc.
1. Never put your pastor on a pedestal.
2. Pray for your pastor as they struggle with the same sin nature you do.
3. Realize that you can exhibit just as much faith or more than any spiritual leader.