Learning From Example

Were you not close enough to a great king to learn by his example?
~ Saladin, Kingdom of Heaven.

In the movie, Kingdom of Heaven, the king of Jerusalem is always trying to make and keep peace, even among generational enemies. When the old king dies, a new king comes into power, and things change. The new king, filled with pride, actually thought he was just as smart as the old king, and therefore did not learn the example that was right in front of him. And when he did his own ideas, he did not get the same results. In fact, he lost the kingdom, and his people had to suffer! 

It has been said: There are many paths which lead to the top of the mountain, and although this may be true, there are easier paths, and harder paths. There are safer paths, and there are paths which are more dangerous! And if the Lord Yeshua Himself, comes to show us the path back into the presence of the Father, and Yeshua shows by the results that His path works, and tells us that His is the only path which will get us back into the presence of Father, and proves this by the results of His path, then should we believe Him and follow His path? 

The new king, filled with pride, thought his method was just as valid as the method of the previous king, yet it did not produce the same results. This led to great suffering of his people, and the loss of the kingdom, the loss of his life, the loss of Jerusalem. All because he thought his ideas were just as valid as the ideas of the great king before him. 

Are we close enough to the Great King Jehovah to learn by His example? If not, how do we know what ideas are in line with His proven method, or what ideas are our own? I submit, it is the Spirit of Holiness which we must acquire, in order to know what ideas of which the Saviour does approve. The great Spirit of Holiness will lead us into Holier, and Holier paths. The way to tell is, if the results are Holy. 

I remember a time when a young person in my stewardship told me of a different approach than the one I was using, to which the Spirit of Holiness bore immediate witness. I instantly apologized and changed to that Holier approach, and the results were undeniable! There have been many such examples in my life, which have alleviated suffering as a direct result. 

When a person comes into your life, who has the results you desire, and offers to share the method to get those results, how do you respond? Do you inflate your pride, and say, "My way is just as valid as your way!" Or, do you immediately give up your way, for the proven method? 

Even if a person has not yet witnessed the life of the Saviour, and exactly how He did things to get the proven results, we can apply to the Holy Spirit of Promise, and be led into Holier and Holier paths, which will alleviate suffering caused by our own approach. 

Are you not close enough to the Great King to learn by his example?