Have you been disappointed in spiritual leaders you have held in high esteem? I’m sure each of us has done so. I know I have and, like you, I don’t like the way it makes me feel and its long-term effect. I repeatedly hear the sad disappointment in the voice of those who share the hurt they have experienced when that happens.
I have seen how scores of people have quoted or otherwise referred to Paul’s recorded experiences or responses as though he was as infallible as Jesus was. Yet, they passively acknowledge he was human, yet subconsciously think if he said or did it, it must be pure and righteous. He even acknowledged some uncertainty about some things he wrote. (1 Cor. 7:6) He for certain is a spiritual hero, but to make him infallible in all cases would be a grave mistake. Just considering that, how might that make you feel to think he made mistakes that are recorded in the Bible? I suspect you would want to push back. I get that. But that is precisely what I’m wanting to put on the table to reflect on. We don’t want to think one of our spiritual leaders being human enough to make mistakes, even though we will say they are human.
My aspirations to be faultless lead me to creating false expectations about myself AND leaders I hold in high esteem. Satan uses those very expectations to discourage, if not defeat, me and crush my respect for those I fantasize are faultless. This happens to all of us. Subsequently, we tend to gradually relax our ambitions and endeavors to become more Christlike. Plus, we go on to rationalize that God is unfair to expect us to become perfect. You see, when we allow ourselves to create false expectations, we only defeat ourselves. A common trap Satan sets for us.
It is recorded that Jesus understood this trap and prepared his humanity to be able to respond properly to it. John records “because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like (John 2:23-25, NLT2). Did you notice that Jesus refused to allow false expectations of people to discourage or defeat Him? Did His humanity experience frustration with people? Certainly! Following His transfiguration, at the bottom of the mountain, his remaining nine disciples had failed to cast out a demon from a boy and out of exasperation He said, O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me (Matthew 17:17, ESV). Remember, Jesus was divine but also fully human, just like the rest of us!
How might you eliminate your defeat and minimize your discouragement by focusing on reality rather than allowing your fantasies to create false expectations of others? It helps me, as it will you, if I remind myself my spiritual maturity is not yet complete. The shift from my thoughts and reactions being driven by my mind, emotions and independent volition (soul) to being driven primarily by my spirit deep within is not yet complete. This is true for all of us. Therefore, we will vary in how often our soul responds to situations before our spirit does. Therefore, we can say or do things that may sound spiritual, but flow more out of our fallen soul. If that happens to us, how can we honestly expect any human alive to never default to their humanity in what they say or do? Being a spiritual authority figure does aid and empower us but does NOT end our fallen soul/humanity. This is why Jesus said, Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven… (Luke 6:37, ESV). Judging others has a way of coming back to bite you.