“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:1-5 NKJV)

There are ministers of virtue and there are false guides. False guides lead for the purpose of catering to self-interests and thereby demonstrate that they are only concerned about using people as a means to inflate the ego. For rather than leading people to the Holy Word of God which enables us to become more aware of who we are and what our purpose is in Jesus Christ, they merely endeavor to draw the bulk of our attention to what they want us to know about themselves.

Of course, they will make it appear as though they are interested in doing what’s best for the Church, but in reality they have a hidden agenda and try to hold its members potential for growth in Christ captive by giving them the false impression that their connection with God is dependent on their presence within their lives. Hence they make themselves out to be little christs, expecting each member of the Church to pay them homage and praise while negating to encourage them to look to and rely on the wisdom and Power of God alone.

Nevertheless, ministers of virtue are leaders who inspire others to live a life of obedience unto God and thereby keep the best interest of His Church in mind at all times. They don’t seek to draw attention to ‘Self’; rather, their main concern is to encourage people to look to Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. Thus they honor and glorify God in all of their dealings with others.  Moreover, they don’t attempt to use the gifts of others as a tool to achieve their own end; rather, they encourage each member to use their talents to the glory of God. In this way they make it known to all who belong to the body of Christ that they are appreciated, and that their service to God is not only important, but essential. Hence they don’t lead for the sake of self-glory, but for the purpose of enabling people to find joy in serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

And when God’s people fall short of His glory in some way, they don’t attempt to blind their eyes to their potential for success in carrying out the will of God by reminding them of their shortcomings, nor do they use their weaknesses as a means to control their lives. Instead, they encourage them to cast their cares on Jesus Christ, while assuring them that His love for them knows no end.  Thus they remind them that God is merciful and patient and has a passion to illuminate their lives with the presence of His joy. Such is the life of a minister of virtue, and such is the character that Jesus Christ calls all who belong to the Priesthood of Believers to exemplify. That, of course, includes each one of us who believes in Jesus Christ.  After all, if we belong to Christ, then we are a part of the priesthood of believers. But are we really showing it?

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