"Honor those you should honor"

Romans 13:7, in the Common English Bible (CEB), reads, “So pay everyone what you owe them. Pay the taxes you owe, pay the duties you are charged, give respect to those you should respect, and honor those you should honor.” In the spirit of this verse, today I want to speak of my pastor, Bill Oudemolen. I do this because October is pastor appreciation month, but more so, because I believe that Bill is worthy of respect and honor.

I want to mention three honorable things about Bill today. Number one: Bill is a man who week after week points people to God, not himself. I would submit that perhaps the number one trait in Bill’s life is his humility. Too many today parade themselves and boast of how great they are. Not Bill; he is humble. I’m reminded of what John the Baptist said in John 3. He said, “He [Jesus] must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30; NKJV).

Number two: Bill is a man who submits to God’s plan for his life. It is God’s plan for Bill to be a pastor, and he willingly submits to that plan. Is this easy? Not necessarily. As laypeople we tend to think that the life of a pastor is all fun and games, but this is not always the case. Nevertheless, I’m encouraged and fortified in my own life to see him live in the role God has called him to, even though it’s not always easy.

Number three: Bill has an obvious love for the truth of the Word of God, and proclaims it with passion. Furthermore, he practices what he preaches. God, in his kindness, has blessed me with a friendship with Bill (and his wonderful wife, Jan) when he is not behind the pulpit. I’ve seen firsthand that Bill practices what he preaches. Don’t get me wrong: he is not perfect and sinless (no one is), but he is striving to live as the Bible instructs, just as he encourages others to do.

I could go on and on. I could speak, for instance, of how he deeply loves, values, and treasures his wife, Jan. I could speak of his generosity, or how servant-hearted he is. But you get the point: my pastor is worthy of the respect, honor, and appreciation that I give him.

Kevin