Have you heard of the phrase, “The higher you climb, the further you fall?” Every day, God gives us opportunities to go higher with Him and see the miraculous in our lives, and at the same time, the enemy is there giving us opportunities to fall and destroy our lives with in the process. Today I want you to consider that just because you may be a leader in the ministry or have been saved for years, you are not exempt from the temptations Satan will use to try and deter you with from the plan of God in your life. In fact, before and even after you accept Christ into your life the enemy is promised to come and make attempts to steal, kill and destroy your life.
As a leader in ministry, we are held to a higher standard. We are expected to model what we teach, what is shown to us in the Word of God and what is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. All the time, people in and out of our congregations are watching. Because of this influence, we become a bigger target for Satan to try and destroy. What happens when we succumb to his temptations and make a mistake, especially a significant one? How do we move forward?
First, we must remember that God knew every sin everyone in the world would ever commit, and yet He still sent His Son to save us from our own death sentences. He knew the temptations you would grapple with, and He knew when you would succumb—and He loved and called you anyway. This truth does not give us a license to continue to live in a life of sin, of course, but it offers us peace in the knowledge of God’s undying love and His eternal gift of salvation. The only way His gift to us of eternal life would ever expire is if we reject Jesus Christ and turn from God. We see this eternal love and forgiveness of sins in action all throughout the Bible.
Second, we also see in the Scriptures a consistent precedent for restoration to ministry after repentance. Have you ever wondered why the heroes of faith retain their titles even after making some of the biggest mistakes? Some of those famous mistakes include David committing adultery and then killing the woman’s husband so he could marry her and hide his sin from the kingdom. We see Jonah wishing death on an entire city by refusing to share with them the way to salvation. We witness of Peter rejecting Christ three times to save himself and his reputation. And yet David is considered a man after God’s own heart, we teach our children about Jonah in Bible class, and Peter is known for being one of the greatest disciples of Christ.
All the great men and women whose faithful exploits are described in the Word of God made mistakes in their life, and yet they remain in the Bible because they show us the forgiveness and goodness of God. As Paul so eloquently states in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, God’s “power is made perfect in [their] weakness.” Because we know they were human, because we can see both their flawed humanity and the way God used them, we rejoice in the transformative power of Christ as we read about God’s power flowing in their life and ministry. Their stories serve as important reminders and lessons to us that even if we as leaders in the ministry make a mistake, it does not mean that God can no longer use us or that we have ruined the plan of God for our lives. As Romans 11:29 tells us outright, “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” This truth is borne out from Genesis to Revelation.
Please do not misunderstand my intentions in writing this. I am in no way condemning, pointing fingers, or throwing guilt to any person. In my spirit I see a generation of leaders being prepared to bring hope to a dying world. I believe we are going to see the day of Christ’s return, and this next revival will play a huge part in making that come to pass soon. But before we can see the miracles we have been waiting for we must throw off all of the chains that could be holding us back from running our race.
If you are under attack from the enemy after making a mistake, make the decision now to renew your mind from all thoughts of shame, despair, embarrassment, and self-loathing. Fight the urge to quit, to give up. It does not matter what mistake you have made. God has forgiven you, Jesus has washed your sins from you, and you now have the opportunity to teach others from the wisdom you gained from making your mistake and seeking restoration. Instead of thinking you are of no use because of your mistake, put your mistake to use and help prevent others from falling into the same trap.
You are beautiful, I see Jesus in you! Have an awesome week!
If you have a testimony you’d like to share of overcoming past mistakes in the ministry please share them at [email protected].
