Some girls squeal at the thought of meeting celebrity singers. I’d prefer meeting pastors and quietly listening to them talk for hours. A couple months ago, I actually fell asleep and dreamed that I was eating lunch at Chic-Fil-A with John Piper and his wife.

In and of itself, these are only amusing eccentricities. Most of us can relate to having similar “personal heroes of the faith”— fired-up Christians, whether alive or preserved through their writings, who stoke our yearning for God-centered living. These godly, wiser mentors are essential in guiding us along the path of maturity.

Respect and imitation for godly leaders is healthy— up to an extent. The problem starts when we forget that “Christian” means nothing more than “little Christ”, and we begin to think of the pupil like the Master.

This morning, I read a few chapters of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth—a church struggling with just such an overdose of devotion to certain Christian leaders. Paul wasted no time in setting them straight:

“Each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? …

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13 and 3:5-8)

I love how these verses read like a triumphant bugle call to worship. No Christian is anything except a servant; Christ is everything. God is the one working behind the scenes in every godly leader’s heart; He’s the only one who deserves the full spotlight.

Do I feel less inclined to pick up the Bible than to pick up a meaty Christian book? Am I more apt to quote Spurgeon than to quote Scripture? Whenever my answers are yes, the primary allegiance of my heart has been revealed: my delight in Christ has atrophied while my delight in the message-bearer has swollen. Respect has toed the line reserved solely for the true Hero of my faith.

J.C. Ryle wisely observed, “The best of men are only men at their very best. Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles – martyrs, fathers, reformers, puritans – all are sinners, who need a Savior: holy, useful, honorable in their place – but sinners after all.”

The only Person worthy of our boundless adoration is Christ Jesus. No one else can even begin to compete.

Photo credit: irishcalvinist.com.