Recently a young pastor wrote J. Lee Grady, editor of the Charismatic/Pentecostal magazine Charisma and asked how he might avoid the pitfalls that other leaders have fallen into.
After all no one starts out planning to ruin their lives in a moral scandal. Grady gave some great advice which I am posting here. There are 9 so I am going to do this over 3 postings. To allow readers to digest and think about it All young leaders please read this, meditate upon it and put into action.
1. Live a humble, transparent life.
Just because you are a leader doesn’t mean you don’t have issues. You are a flawed, broken individual who has experienced the miracle of God’s mercy. Resist the temptation to live in denial about your weaknesses. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Stay in close relationship with mature mentors and trusted peers who know your temptations, insecurities and any past addictions. Confess your sins to God and to your inner circle regularly.
2. Stay open to correction.
Many of those whose ministries are imploding today either worked in isolation or they surrounded themselves with yes men. As your ministry grows, increase the number of people who speak into your life.
If your colleagues are rubber-stamping everything you do, consider that a warning sign. If they tell you they can’t correct you because you are either authoritarian or subtly controlling, take a sabbatical and get counseling immediately.
3. Audit your actions regularly.
God watches the way we handle the little things. Are you telling the truth? Are you mishandling ministry finances? Are you “fudging” in any area of sexual purity? Do you have checks and balances set in place so that you always comply with the law?
God sees every Web site you visit, every personal expense you charge to your ministry account and every exaggeration (i.e., lie) you put in your newsletter.
Interested in your comments about this
No comments:
Post a Comment