E.M. Bounds once wrote:
“The preacher’s sharpest and strongest preaching should be to himself. His most difficult, delicate, laborious, and thorough work must be with himself… It is not great talents nor great learning nor great preachers that God needs, but men great in holiness, great in faith, great in love, great in fidelity, great for God-men always preaching by holy sermons in the pulpit, by holy lives out of it. These can mold a generation for God.”
Like A.W. Tozer, E.M. Bounds offers deep, rich spiritual insights into the Christian journey as one who draws people closer to an intimate relationship with God. The nature of teaching, discipling, and drawing others closer to Jesus demands that we live what we preach. That we speak not out of what we know as much as what we own–the spiritual lessons, insights, and discoveries that we’ve paid a price for.
Bounds writes that the preacher’s “most difficult, delicate, laborious, and thorough work” should be with himself…but I can’t help but think that it’s God who is really the one at work. Shaping us to be who he created us to be. Delicately removing the obstacles that stand in the way. Thoroughly providing and caring for us.
When we submit ourselves to God, we are submitting ourselves to all that God wants to do. And that means sometimes when we stand up to preach, teach, exhort, and gently remind, we’ll find the words we offer come out of both what God has done and what he is yet to do.
May we not just practice the faith what we preach, may we preach the faith that we practice….and the treasures we learn along the way.
*Photo courtesy of here
