It was a very chilly late Saturday evening when a muffled knock was heard on the front door of our family home. I left my sermon preparation study on the kitchen table and answered the door. There was a friend of mine standing with his head lowered. I could tell by his quivering voice that this was not a social call.
I invited him into the living room and he shared with me his story. He had been driving around all evening with the intention of involving himself in a disobedient act before God. He had driven the dark city streets for a long time when he finally decided to reach out instead of carrying out his plan to be disobedient. He drove to my home hoping for someone to rescue him.
For several hours we talked about his pain and what was compelling him to act in disobedience. We spent a good amount of time praying as God touched his heart. When he left much later that night, he had a change of mind and heart and he went home and did the right thing before God. That night a marriage and ministry were snatched from the hands of the evil one. He resisted the temptation to participate in morally self-destructive behavior.
I have had many opportunities to visit my friend over the years. I can say that the last I saw him he was living an overcoming life for Christ and he was successfully helping others find their way in making life altering decisions for the glory of God.
What I have observed is that often leaders can preach a redemptive message to those they may have influence with, but do not or cannot apply the same redemptive message to themselves. The message of reconciliation, restoration and redemption applies to leaders as much as to those who may be following the leader. In fact, if a leader cannot draw from their own redemption story they will be hard pressed to effectively bring hope to those who need that same redemptive message.
It is with my heart-felt love and care for leaders that I offer up this exhortation. The following scripture reference is often used by leaders when preaching to others. In this case, my prayer is the leader reading this will heed these words for the sake of their relationship with Christ and the testimony of Jesus. This instruction is given to the Angel (leader) of the Church of Ephesus.
Rev.2:1 –7 - To the angel of the church in Ephesus write; These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands; I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor; you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let Him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
1. Reality – Even though you have done many things right, you have been deceived! You have forsaken your first love! You have forsaken the place of great passion for intimacy with Jesus. Maybe it was all the “right ministry things” that led you astray. Maybe it was the tyranny of the urgent that caused a detour in your intimate relationship with Christ. It is hard to separate our priorities sometimes as 1. God 2. Family 3. Ministry. We assume that the God and ministry parts are one in the same, when in fact, they are very different. On the note of family, I should emphasize that your spouse should be the priority on family.
2. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Reflect where you were before your slow drift away. Remember how God was using you. Remember the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon you, the ways in which God was using you to advance His Kingdom. Observe that it is now only a memory and not reality. You may be running on yesterday’s ability when your soul and spirit were healthy.
3. Repent - The action of repentance is not just feeling the grief of what you have done and what the present condition of your spirit is. Repentance requires action. It begins with a decision to change your course heading. The next step is to turn your eyes away from what has captivated you and misled you. No one else can do this but you! Be careful to not turn your eyes toward someone or something else that brings the deception of satisfaction to your soul. After you have turned your eyes, continue to make a deliberate act to turn your heart to Jesus and no one or nothing else.
4. Return to the right course heading - Do the things the things you did at first. When your eyes and heart have turned it makes it much easier to turn your feet towards his open arms just for you. When your feet have turned; walk, run, and better yet, sprint towards his open loving arms eagerly waiting to embrace you. You will find his mercy and the essential grace in a fresh new way that enables you to walk daily in his power and ability.
As simple as it sounds… you have been separated from God in some way. Return to the simplicity of the cross. Falling in love is a process. Begin the journey home by facing the truth of where you are at and do the things you did in the beginning of your relationship with Christ. Make the decision to pick up the Word of God and read it, devour it, meditate on it. This is not intended study time for your next sermon. Allow the Word of God to possess you. Make the time to steal away to a private quiet place and listen for God’s voice and you pour out your heart to Him in truth. If you are struggling to see, engage another leader or a trusted counselor to help you sort through the confusion in your mind.
In doing this; it is likely that you will begin to see root issues that made you vulnerable to the temptation of the enemy in the first place. As God is faithful to allow you to see your brokenness, it is imperative that you not turn away from the pain. Remember that buried pain will remain alive until it is brought to death on the cross. God does want to heal you and restore you, but you must be willing to bring your fear, your broken heart, and your grief over failing to the only one who can restore your soul.
Your mis-steps, your errors, your bad choices do not identify who you are.
Rise up, you have been called by God to fulfill His purposes. God is not finished with you. He is the only redeemer. This applies to the leader as much as it does the follower. It’s time to move forward and put the past behind. The Apostle Paul knew all about this. His words in Philippians 3:13 - “this one thing I do, forgetting (to put out of mind) what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” The idea here is to desperately run for your life toward Christ and all that He has for you. Learn from your mistakes. Own your issues and deal with them so that they stumble you no longer.
Please do not run away or quit. Do not make the choice of becoming a leader who is “Missing In Action.” We need you! We need your knowledge and experience to help the rest of us stay away from the traps that capture so many. People around you need your proven and refined leadership to take them forward into God’s purposes for this season.
2 Cor.12:9 – My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
