Practice What You Preach

Years ago in the Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy was on top on his doghouse, with a flock of baby birds by his side. The time had come for the baby birds to learn how to fly and Snoopy was their teacher. Snoopy proceeded to flap his ears and walk to the edge of the doghouse roof. He leaped into the air and continued to flap his ears. Unfortunately, he went straight down and landed on his head. Then he got back up onto the roof and shared this lesson: “Do as I say to do, and not what I do.”

Peanuts has always made me laugh while giving me a bit of insight to life. This one in particular, though funny, serves to remind me of some instruction given by Jesus that He delivered quite seriously. Jesus warned His disciples not to be like the Pharisees who “do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3).

I think we would all be wise to take these words to heart. Certainly, we should be careful that our preaching is aligned with scriptural teaching. Our words should be in agreement with God’s word. However, beyond that, our actions should be in harmony with our words. The Bible consistently reminds us of this. For example, the apostle John said, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech (alone), but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). We need to practice what we preach!

As of today (the day of this writing), it has been my privilege to serve as your Senior Pastor of the FBC Pompano Family for 20 years. Even before that, I was a preacher, going back to the day I surrendered to the ministry, which was Easter Sunday 1973 as a young teenager. (I preached my first official sermon the next Sunday at a nearby church). That is a lifetime ago! Nevertheless, for all these years, I have sought with my whole heart to practice what I preach—and even more, to preach what I practice. This is a hard and fast rule for me personally—and one that I am not sure I have ever spoken of publicly.

Today I write of it though for I think it is a good rule for everyone—not just for professional preachers. We all preach in our own way through our conversation, influence and teaching. So perhaps this should be a rule for us all. Today, I want to encourage us all to adopt it and strive to live by it. Let us practice what we preach and preach what we practice. Maybe you would want to join me now in this prayer: Dear Lord, help me to do as I say to do!

Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron