LIVE AS YOU SPEAK – Everything seemed to be hunky-dory…
The calling of reverend Klaas
The confrontation
Pastor Klaas Blijleven considered himself an exemplary servant of God. Every Sunday, he stood in the pulpit with fire in his belly, preaching about justice, love, and compassion. His three hundred congregants hung on his every word when he spoke of ‘following Christ’ and ‘serving your neighbor’. After the service, he’d always receive compliments about his inspiring messages. Everything seemed peachy keen.
But that Wednesday evening in February – man, that evening changed everything. During a perfectly ordinary conversation with elder Van der Berg, he got a few hard truths thrown his way. “Pastor,” the elder said, “there’s a difference between what you preach and what you do. People see it. You talk about love, but your actions speak a completely different language.”
Those words burned. They seared him, in fact, as he sat in his study that evening. How could this be? Didn’t he delve into the Bible daily? Didn’t he prepare his sermons meticulously? But slowly, ever so slowly, it began to dawn on him: he might have been looking up, but he’d lost sight of his own flock.
The Truth Hurts
The days that followed were tough. Pastor Klaas began to really take a good look at himself, with God’s Word acting as a merciless lamp. He suddenly remembered how irritated he’d been just last month when Mrs. Treurniet approached him after the service about her money troubles. He’d sent her straight to the diaconate then, even though he himself had just bought an expensive theology book that very same week.
Then he thought of Jan, that unemployed brother, who had been asking for a chat for months. However, Klaas had always been “too busy” with his preparations. And the last church council meeting? There, he had puffed himself up about “serving the poor,” only to then propose reducing the contribution to the food bank due to budget considerations. You couldn’t make it up.
That confrontation with his own behavior was frankly painful. He had failed in what he considered most important: truly living the Gospel. His words from the pulpit were diametrically opposed to his behavior in daily life. That hurt, a lot.
Time for a Change
Pastor Klaas knew: he was at a crossroads. He could rationalize his behavior, blame others – easy enough. Or he could choose the difficult path: truly repent, make a radical change. That Friday evening, alone in his study with his Bible open, he made a decision that would turn his entire life upside down.
He reread the words from Isaiah 58: “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” That text touched him deeply.
He would stop talking about love and start living it. That meant he truly had to start serving his congregation instead of himself. He had to lighten their burdens instead of making them heavier. He had to hear their voice instead of letting only his own resound. Simple, yet so complex at the same time.
The following Sunday, he stepped into the pulpit with a completely different heart. “I want to ask for your forgiveness,” he began his sermon. “I have spoken about love, but I have failed to show it. I want to be your shepherd not only in words but also in deeds.” It was silent in the church, completely silent.
True Shepherding
That change didn’t happen by itself. Pastor Klaas had to learn to put his own comfort aside and truly be available to his congregation. When Mrs. Treurniet approached him again about her financial distress, he didn’t just listen; he also arranged concrete help, even from his own wallet. That was a big step.
He began regularly visiting congregants at home, and not just the sick and dying, but also the lonely and unemployed. His schedule filled with conversations, home visits, and sincere advice. His study time became shorter, yes, but his sermons only became more powerful. They now came directly from practice, from the heart of the congregation.
He also learned to share his own needs honestly. Instead of expecting the congregation to solve his annoyances, he began to communicate openly about challenges and look for solutions together. He organized prayer groups, where people also prayed for each other, not just for others. He himself regularly asked for intercession. That was new, that was vulnerable, but also so personal.
The Fruit of Change
Months later, Blijleven began to reap the fruits of his turnaround. His congregation had not only grown but also become much more involved with each other and with society. People began to take initiatives themselves to help others. The food bank expanded, a help service for the elderly was established, and young people organized activities for children from the neighboring disadvantaged neighborhood. It was thriving!
Visitors immediately noticed that there was something special about this congregation. Not only the sermons but especially the love that was visible among the members. People began to ask questions about faith, and the congregation grew organically, simply because something beautiful was happening.
Klaas Blijleven also felt a personal change. His prayer life deepened, his relationship with God became more intense, and his calling gained a new, much more meaningful significance. He had learned that true shepherding is not about beautiful words, but about enabling others to follow Christ. That, after all, was the goal.
More Than Just a Church
Two years later, Klaas Blijleven looked back on his journey with his church. His congregation had grown into one of the most vibrant churches in the city. Former congregants who had moved away still returned for prayer and support. He had created a legacy that reached far beyond the walls of his church building. A beautiful legacy indeed.
He realized that his change had not only transformed his calling but also his personal relationships. He had become a better husband, a more engaged father, and a more authentic Christian in all aspects of his life. A more complete person, in other words.
Klaas knew his journey wasn’t complete, of course not. Every day brought new challenges to live out his faith. But he had learned that true shepherding isn’t a destination, but a daily, conscious choice to serve others, to be transparent, and to put God’s love into practice.
Life Lesson
Today, when Pastor Klaas takes young pastors under his wing, he always tells the same story: “You can choose superficial piety, beautiful words without deeds, or you can choose the difficult path of true repentance. That choice determines not only who you are as a shepherd, but who you are as a follower of Christ.”
And every time he utters those words, he remembers that Wednesday evening in February, when his world was turned upside down by a simple, yet oh-so-important truth: authentic shepherding begins with an honest look in the mirror of God’s Word and the courage to change. That’s the crux.
He knows from experience that the words from Isaiah 58 still hold true: “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear.” Because that’s exactly what happened when he stopped preaching about love and started living it. There’s no better lesson than that.
@wimvanputten