Modeled Behaviors

While a worker was waiting at a Sumatra airport for his flight to leave he noticed a 2 to 3 year old girl like the one pictured in this photo. Her parents had sent her to the garbage bin to throw away a candy wrapper. The girl examined the bin. She literally stuck her head into the bin. Then she wheeled away and tossed the candy wrapper on the floor. She had obviously been told to put the wrapper into the bin, but what she had seen modeled was to throw the wrapper on the floor. This little drama reminded the worker of a powerful truth – people follow what they see modeled rather than what they are told is right.

Earlier in the week this worker traveled among several people groups with a local partner. The local partner didn’t do a lot of witnessing. He gave the reason that people want to hear the foreigner, but perhaps there was a more powerful and unspoken reason. This local partner was watching to see if the foreigner would practice what he preached. He wanted to see the teaching modeled. This was an important reminder to the worker that he must realize that he’s being watched, and he must consistently model what he teaches.

Pray for workers on Sumatra to be consistent to model godly living and bold proclamation with local believers.

Pray for local believers to catch what is being modeled and taught so that they will be obedient to Christ and that they will transfer that obedience to other believers through words and actions.

Pray for revival among the churches so that they will model and proclaim the Gospel message among all the peoples on Sumatra.