It’s painful and confusing when leaders in the church make poor decisions. It’s sad to see a pastor fall because it affects how both believers and nonbelievers view the Church, which affects how people view God.
I believe that church leaders making poor decisions comes down to the simple fact that they forgot that life is about relationship with Jesus and relationship with others. Often, pastors lose themselves focusing on ministry and activity and feel like they’re “good” because they are “doing” all the right things and serving God. But it isn’t about doing. This is me speaking from experience. I’ve been the one who let ministry take the place of God. I’ve been the one who lost sight of relationship.
So many church leaders who have fallen has to do with sexual sin. Take Ravi Zacharias for example. His sin was painful and disorienting because it showed that he was preaching the word of God while treating women as objects and people to use. He wasn’t focused on relationship.
The Christian faith is about being loved in our relationship with Him and that overflowing onto others. Our faith is so much more about receiving from God and others than it is about giving out of ourselves. When we believe we are loved by God, we don’t act as if we need to earn anything. His love is not based on conditions. Christians make it more about performance and image. Unfortunately, the world sees that. The world doesn’t see us acting like the loved people we are.
It’s not about what you do; it’s about who God is, and who you are. When we don’t know who we are, we inaccurately reflect who God is. Jesus’ heart is tender and compassionate. He is also a protector and defender. He is peace and someone worth trusting with your whole heart.
Jesus has shown us who He is. He is not activity, programs, rules, and regulations. He is God who took on human form. He is someone who we are meant to be in relationship with and to be walking with every single day. It’s when we start focusing on the work of Jesus rather than the way of Jesus where we lose our way.
Unfortunately, we are wounded in relationship. But if we remember the point- that we are loved deeply by God and He is always with us, we can be healed in relationship. Those wounds can be something we look back on and deeply know that God’s faithfulness redeemed every moment where we felt broken. So even if you have been hurt by a leader who made a really poor decision because they forgot who they were or possibly never knew, remember that we all have the opportunity to be loved by Jesus and live from His love. It doesn’t have to depend on someone’s poor choices and their broken journey. We all have a story. Thankfully, John 1:16 says, “For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” When I fell due to my own self-righteousness covering the idolatry in my heart, He showed me so much grace, and He does that for all of us. We just have to receive it.