- 15
- Nov
It happened again recently. Another minister bit the dust. It seems a day doesn’t pass without news that a minister somewhere has experienced a moral failure.
Despite being disappointed, angry, scared and utterly shocked, I wonder. I wonder what went wrong. Who will be next? Will I know them? Were there any tell-tale signs? Before I start looking for a stone to throw, I am reminded that but for the grace of God, so go I.
In the last year, I have observed men of faith who have flamed out due to adultery, divorce, pornography, impropriety, addiction, scandal and burn out. No wonder Jesus said, “Follow Me.” He knew if we followed men, they would fail us. There is a reason we are called followers of Christ. Men fail, but Christ prevails.
Moral failures are rampant among clergy. The headline is all too familiar: “Minister caught in the act.” Is it right to ask what went wrong? If we don’t, we might be next. Pride comes before the fall.
Ministers are marked men. Ephesians 6 makes it clear that the enemy is perched like a sniper waiting patiently to take us out. He’s not in a hurry. Time is on his side. Temptation is his lure. Take a peek. Give a wink. Dip your toe into the wild side. Live a little. Draw the curtains. Channel surf at the hotel room. Click on the provocative Internet image. Who will ever know? Are you hiding behind your pulpit? Are you sorry or just sorry you might get caught?
The more we stand for Christ, the more the devil wants to ruin us. He’s been at it for thousands of years. We get maybe 100 years, and we think we can take him on by ourselves? Wake up! We are in the battle of our lives. Will we end strong without regret?
We can prance around fueled by the flesh, or we can stop and be filled with the Spirit. We have to be still to be filled. We can’t fight a war on auto pilot. We have to empty ourselves of self to be filled with the Spirit. What are we full of? Are we full of self or the Spirit? Too many ministries have been built in the flesh. What impact might a ministry have when it is built while under the influence of the Spirit?
Preachers are people, too. Where do ministers go for help? Who listens to their deepest concerns and darkest confessions? Who holds them accountable? It is lonely at the top, but it need not be so. It’s time we come out from behind the fake smiles and the nicely-pressed suits. It’s time we get real with each other. The book of James says we are to confess our sins to each other and pray together before it is too late, and hopefully before the 10 o’clock news. If you love your minister, ask him if everything is OK. His answer might surprise you. The fact you even ask might surprise him.