Preaching What You Practice

  We have all heard the advice that we should practice what we preach. One preacher was heard to say that he preached what his mother practiced. Once a preacher was alone in the building in the pulpit just preaching away and somebody asked him what he was doing. He said, "Practicing what I preach." Well, so much for misconceptions of the idea.

  Did you ever wonder how well received a preacher would be if he preached what his brethren practiced? Would they accept a message that the ball game was more important than the worship service? Would they delight to hear that passing rumors and hurtful stories about others is what God wants? What if he stood before them and argued for everybody to take a social drink, use profanity, or tell lewd stories? How would if go over if he taught brethren to give as little as they thought they could? (This one might be readily applauded.) But you get what I am saying, don't you?

  Whether we realize it or not what we do does "preach." We might be embarrassed if what we actually did was upheld as the divine standard. Would this be what we would want our neighbors and children to hear coming from our pulpits?