‘Do not turn to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil.’ Proverbs 4:27
It is good to have role models, people who we admire and can follow. But we need to remember that anyone we look up to is only human. Like us they can sin and do wrong. They are tempted as we are and sometimes succumb to temptation.
Many years ago I recall an infrequent visitor to our church who was a great evangelist and that is what we nicknamed him. During his visits there would be speaking in tongues which only happened when he was there. He would lay hands on people and pray blessings on them for special blessings.’ He was considered a very good Christian, spreading the gospel and was admired by everyone. This was fine until one day he was arrested by the police for a crime which was so bad he ended up in prison for child pornography. We had been looking up to a man who was seriously flawed. Every person is sinful to some degree, though this was an extreme case. I grew up in the day of the great evangelists like Billy Graham. We looked up to these men but they must have been imperfect people as well.
There is only one person we can fully look up to – the perfect Jesus Christ. While admiring good Christian leaders can be helpful, it must be remembered that they are fallible human beings. The one without sin is the perfect Son of God. He alone has our praise and admiration.