“The furnishing of my room was immaculate, everything was tastefully and impeccably appointed. But, on the third day, I found a torn spot on the corner of the bed cover, and dust above the picture,” a travel critic wrote with a flair of disappointment about a purportedly five-star hotel.

    Can any one of us, including our spiritual leaders, be found faultless under close scrutiny? Saints are still imperfect human beings. “If you live with me for a few days, you will know I am nowhere like Jesus.” This is what Paul said:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead... (Phil 3:12-13 NIV)

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...

    Would I be shocked to find that the great Apostle had some temper or impatience when things do not go according to plan? Would it surprise me if he still became visibly frustrated in public or was even being accused of lacking love? He didn’t claim to have arrived or to be perfect! His transformation to be like Jesus was much like ours; it was a gradual process which he never completely finished this side of glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). He called people to imitate him and use his life as an example on as it reflected Christ and Christian maturity (1 Corinthians 11:1; cf. Philippians 3:17; 4:9).

    So let’s ask two questions about imperfect leaders:

    First, a question about my own leadership.

Do I have the courage to let people know they can learn something about Jesus by looking at me, even if I am nowhere perfect like Him?