“Do as I say, not as I do.”

That was a common phrase many years ago by parents and it’s about as awful as it sounds.  It says that somehow those in leaders are exempt from doing what they ask of others to do.  But it doesn’t work that way.  Leaders lead.  As in they go through the same thing that those who follow go through.

When Moses ordained and consecrated Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, he had them lead through first offering the sacrifices and offerings for their own sins.

• They offered a bull (the most expensive) for the sin offering
• A ram for the burnt offering
• A ram for the ordination
• Bread for the wave offering
• Burned a part of all these for the ordination offering
• Then he sprinkled them with oil and blood for consecration

Once they were cleansed themselves from their own sins, then they had the permission to help other people with their sins.   It’s so easy for us to see and spot out other peoples sins, and even confront them.  First we must deal with our own sins.  It’s important to have a clean heart before the Lord first as leaders.

Secondly we don’t try to be examples.  That would be doing something for men.  Instead we humble ourselves before the Lord and a natural outcome of that is that we may be an example.

I think this takes a daily surrender before the Lord.  Night and day actually.  We may start the day happy and with a good heart, and by the end of the day offense may have taken root.  Or we may have sinned with our words or our attitudes or our thoughts.  The end of the day may be about cleaning up messes and re-consececrating our hearts to him.

This is such a journey.