Several years back, I was participating in a leadership set of courses. The leader for one of these courses had a great deal of wisdom to impart to all of us who were attending. Among the many things he said, though, one thing has stuck in my mind over the years, a very important principle which I strive to remember and work with in my life and ministry.
His saying was something along these lines. What's your biggest secret? You need to discover what it is and figure out a way to deal with it, because Satan is simply waiting to use it to destroy your ministry and to bring shame to the name of Jesus. The big thing that this presenter was going for was transparency, especially upon the part of the minister and ministry leader.
Now, admittedly, that can be a challenging thing to do. We all have things about ourselves that we hope and pray to God that no one else in the world unearths. And truly, it's going to prove impossible to deal with every sinful thought and expression that we have in life. However, generally speaking, transparency with our sin, and openness with the things we struggle with, far often proves to be of greater value than hiding them away.
I think this can be especially challenging for one in a position of some authority in ministry. How open is too open, and how open is not open enough? Admittedly, that is a tough balance to discover. The minister who is to open about his sinful tendencies can lead people to question his ability to lead and minister. The minister who is too closed off about his sinful tendencies can seem to convey the sense that he has no struggles, or appears to be too squeaky clean, and therefore unapproachable by someone who truly does struggle.
I would suggest, however, that there is a great position to be open about one's sinful struggles, and to ask for forgiveness for them, especially before they put you into a position where it can damage ministry. That's the wisdom that I believe the instructor was passing on to us as pastoral leaders, and I think it's a great bit of wisdom that also happens to be competely biblical and applicable. May God guide all of us to that openness, to admitting our sinful struggles, and being willing to asking for forgiveness and seeing it granted for the sake of Jesus.
His saying was something along these lines. What's your biggest secret? You need to discover what it is and figure out a way to deal with it, because Satan is simply waiting to use it to destroy your ministry and to bring shame to the name of Jesus. The big thing that this presenter was going for was transparency, especially upon the part of the minister and ministry leader.
Now, admittedly, that can be a challenging thing to do. We all have things about ourselves that we hope and pray to God that no one else in the world unearths. And truly, it's going to prove impossible to deal with every sinful thought and expression that we have in life. However, generally speaking, transparency with our sin, and openness with the things we struggle with, far often proves to be of greater value than hiding them away.
I think this can be especially challenging for one in a position of some authority in ministry. How open is too open, and how open is not open enough? Admittedly, that is a tough balance to discover. The minister who is to open about his sinful tendencies can lead people to question his ability to lead and minister. The minister who is too closed off about his sinful tendencies can seem to convey the sense that he has no struggles, or appears to be too squeaky clean, and therefore unapproachable by someone who truly does struggle.
I would suggest, however, that there is a great position to be open about one's sinful struggles, and to ask for forgiveness for them, especially before they put you into a position where it can damage ministry. That's the wisdom that I believe the instructor was passing on to us as pastoral leaders, and I think it's a great bit of wisdom that also happens to be competely biblical and applicable. May God guide all of us to that openness, to admitting our sinful struggles, and being willing to asking for forgiveness and seeing it granted for the sake of Jesus.
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