By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
– Proverbs 21:18 NKJV
It is always a tragedy when a Christian leader suffers a moral downfall, because we typically see that one individual’s personal disgrace can affect the entire character of the church. Further, the world seems to snicker collectively when a prominent follower of Christ falls.
We learned earlier this week that evangelical leader Ted Haggard was having a relationship with a young male church member at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. This news came after the 2006 revelation that Rev. Haggard was having an ongoing relationship with a male prostitute.
I would like to make a few points regarding this situation.
First, I want to say that all Christians should be praying that Rev. Haggard can achieve true spiritual recovery following these episodes of personal failure. Our sovereign God is always willing to forgive and welcome repentant souls into His loving arms.
The biblical story of King David, who committed adultery and even murder, can serve as a source of great encouragement to any Christian who has experienced a moral failure. Through David’s repentance – and please note that this was true repentance of the soul, as David said that his sin was forever before him – our merciful God forgave and restored the great king.
Second, I want to beseech church leaders to act quickly should they become aware of a moral problem within their church or ministry. Apparently, officials at New Life Church were aware of Rev. Haggard’s moral struggles since 2006. I don’t seek to condemn them and I can certainly understand their desire to work with him privately, but when a pastor experiences moral failings – no matter who he is – he needs to step down immediately and seek counsel.
Third, I want to encourage all Christians to learn from the setbacks of others. None of us is free from the temptations of this world – not by a long shot. We must be resting on the everlasting arms of our Savior so that He can protect and safeguard our hearts. I have seen too many pastors and church workers get comfortable with their roles and begin to believe the hype surrounding them. We must never allow ourselves to believe that we are more powerful than the next temptation that waits for us.
My dad stated from the pulpit on more than one occasion that if he saw a lady from the church standing without an umbrella in a driving rain, he would not pick her up. Dad also never met alone with a woman in his office. He lived in this manner because he did not want to: 1) risk anyone seeing him with another woman, even if he was just doing a good deed by giving her a lift, or 2) risk placing himself in harm’s way in terms of personal temptation. Every pastor should live this way and work always to preserve his testimony at all costs.
Let’s look at some key ways to safeguard our spiritual and moral integrity.
This week, I saw Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl, state, “Standing up for my beliefs, no matter what, is one way I define being a person of integrity. It doesn’t matter if it’s in front of millions of people at the Super Bowl or one person in private; I try to stand true to who I am in the Lord.”
I appreciate that whenever I see Kurt on TV he always tries to point to Jesus Christ as the source of his success. My friends, when we keep God as our primary focus and we are talking about Him – and not ourselves – we tend to get our eyes off of our own selfish desires and wishes. This is the first step in preserving our testimony and keeping our minds on Christ.
There are many ways to accomplish this goal: surround yourself with wise Christian friends who help you stay focused on your Christian walk; be perpetually involved in prayer and the study of God’s Word; prayerfully commit to avoiding areas of personal temptation. Second Timothy 3:15 tells us: “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Let Christ lead and guide you through His Word!
I want to close with a wonderful verse, Isaiah 26:3, which reminds us: “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Dear friends, the unspeakable peace of Jesus Christ is more wonderful than any temporary pleasure the world has to offer – just as our initial verse points out. Let us commit together to keep our minds on Him so that we can live holy and victorious lives, always pointing people to the One whose open arms are extended to all.
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