We Are Changed by Beholding
StoryIllustration★★★★A godly pastor was approached by a member of his congregation—a physician who was concerned about the pastor’s busy schedule. Handing the minister some theater tickets, he said, “You work too hard! You need some recreation, so go to this movie and have a good time.”
His pastor looked at the tickets, knowing he could not conscientiously attend. He replied kindly, “Thank you, but I can’t take them. I can’t go.”
“Why not?” asked the physician.
“Doctor, it’s this way,” he answered. “You’re a surgeon, and when you operate, you scrub your hands meticulously until you are especially clean. You wouldn’t dare operate with dirty hands. Likewise, I’m a servant of Christ. I deal with precious human soul. I wouldn’t dare do my service with a dirty heart.”
Doug Batchelor, Broken Chains, 129.
The point
A pastor declines movie tickets, explaining that just as a surgeon keeps hands meticulously clean for surgery, he must keep his heart clean to serve souls.