We live in a culture where some people want to lead people to do as they say and not as they do. Just follow my instructions, but don’t use me as an example. Do as I say, and not as I do.
I will be using an example in the Bible of someone who suggested an idea but didn’t follow through when their turn came to do the same thing.
In 2 Kings 6:24-30 KJV, there was a famine in the land and because of that, people were forced to eat anything even their children because they were hungry. That was a very bad famine. In verse 26-29 of 2 Kings 6:
26 Now as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27 And he said, “If the Lord will not help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the winepress?” 28 And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. And on the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.”
During the famine, the first Lady suggested to the second lady that they should eat the second lady’s son, and the next day, they would eat the first lady’s son and the second lady agreed. Why would you agree to such a suggestion? why can’t the First Lady lead since she suggested it? because after the second lady’s son was gone, the first lady hid her son. It is not every idea that is a good idea as you can read in this story. If the person giving the idea can’t first lead then you follow, don’t do it because they know it is a bad idea but because the second lady was a follower, she didn’t object because she felt she could trust the first lady. Who trusts someone who suggests such an evil idea in the first place? It was a sad story to read but one can take from this is to be careful who has your ears and who you listen to.