The Vulnerability of a Young Christian

As a young believer, it’s natural to crave models. You want someone to look up to and imitate. Leaders nourish you with spiritual milk and your eyes light up. You devour their sermons, their podcasts, their books, publicly praise their bold, personable leadership and look no different than the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:12).

Spiritual admiration is healthy…at first. But admiration can very easily slip into attachment, which morphs into overdependence, and ultimately, idolatry. And all idolatry, sooner or later, disappoints.

It follows the common developmental pattern in parent/child and mentor/mentee relationships: idolize → demonize → humanize.

  • Idolize: You put figures of authority on a pedestal and see them with rose-tinted glasses.
  • Demonize: Your glasses shatter, flaws emerge, conflict arises, and your disillusionment leads to anger or cynicism.
  • Humanize: As time passes, scars heal and you realize everyone is a sinner in need of grace.

If you’re stuck in the idolize phase, remember: don’t become naive. Zeal and brilliance can be mistaken for spiritual maturity. Appearances can be deceiving. You know you’re idolizing someone when they reach untouchable “guru” status (i.e. you cannot find a single point of disagreement with them, defend them aggressively, and proudly identify with them). Take heed that you don’t worship or entrust yourself to fallible man. Jesus didn’t (John 2:24). Once you get close, you’ll see the cracks.

If you’re stuck in the demonize phase, remember: don’t become cynical. Avoid naivete, but don’t swing to cynicism either. Distrust corrodes love and blinds you to grace. The root of bitterness poisons your soul, saps your joy, and transforms genuine brothers and sisters into enemies and threats. You know cynicism is taking root when you struggle to respect authority at all and begin criticizing its very existence. Recall that the Christian is specifically commanded to honor their elders:

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

Honor leadership but don’t enthrone it.

The Guru Graveyard

Many well-known Christian leaders have fallen from their pedestals due to sexual immorality, abuse of power, and greed. And when public failures happen, it often becomes spiritual whiplash. If your faith was propped up by personality, their collapse can feel extremely disorienting. And this danger isn’t limited to famous pastors or public scandals. Any figure can become a candidate Christian guru:

  • The pastor
  • The mentor
  • The small group leader
  • The wise podcaster
  • The parent
  • The cultural commentator
  • The political pundit
  • The influencer

The standard never changes and the test is simple: do I follow this person even when they stop sounding like Christ? Only imitate leaders insofar as they imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Humanize early. Expect flaws. Stay gracious. Learn from faithfulness, not charisma. And worship Christ alone.

TL;DR Kill the idea of gurus before it kills your faith.