Interesting Quote

In the recent days, I have heard of several pastors and/or evangelists falling morally. As a person who served in a church where one of the previous pastors had a moral failure (and multiple ministers and leaders in that church had experienced them in the past-some not too distant!), I have a tendency to resent someone for having a moral failure b/c I've experienced the damage and after effects first hand. It doesn't just wreck that persons family-or ministry, it wrecks churches and staff members, as well as their families lives as well, and brings shame to the name of Jesus. Recently I was getting on a flight in Atlanta, and I was cutting up with the ticket agent, and when I told her I was a minister (and we had been having a pretty light, funny conversation-I had her laughing pretty good), she laughed and said we were all going to get it from God because ministers were phony. I couldn't really argue with her, since so many are. I told her I wasn't like them, but at that point it didn't matter what I said, because peoples perception is their reality, and frankly she was right about many of them. So, I was really nice, got her laughing again and hopefully left a good impression of not only ministers, but Christ, with her.

On the other hand, my heart does break for that person b/c they have hurt their families. The look of defeat on a pastors wife I saw recently who had a moral failure broke my heart.

Also, it reminds me to make sure I remain pure and close to God so that I don't go down that same path and put my family & a church through what I've been through, as well as those close to me.

One of the biggest impacts Pastor Johnny has had on my life this year has been seeing how he makes his family a priority, and how he treats Miss Janet. If I had kept going in the direction I was even 8 months ago, I would probably destroyed my family in the near future, not through a moral failure (at this point), but through neglect and emotional isolation. It breaks my heart reflecting on the way that I didn't prioritize my wife's emotional health while I was serving as a "minister", while I did my part in trying to "tend the flock"-(sacrastic tone here). I couldn't even
"tend to my family".

A common thread that I've seen among many of these men who have failed morally has been wrecked, neglected marriages. Once a pastor (or pretty much any man-especially one who is under the stress that pastors and ministers are continually under) isolates himself from his family, and especially his wife, it's just a matter of time before someone meets the emotional, and eventually physical needs he has.

One of the "little things" I did this year was re-work one of Pastors Men's Conference Powerpoints that he's doing in some churches that we travel to. One section dealt with "preventing affairs". He noted the increase in women having affairs, not just men.

One of the safeguards he mentioned is "Treat your wife in such a way that she would be a fool to go be with another man." I'm not necessarily trying to "keep my wife from having an affair" at this point-and she better not be thinking about it!!!, but I definately want her to know that she is important to me and my desire is to focus so much on her and our relationship to the point that she knows she wouldn't get the same attention from someone else and she would never even consider-or need to have even an emotional relationship, much less a physical one with someone else, because I meet her emotional-and physical (baby 4 is on the way-they're a great bi-product) needs. This not only protects her, but it protects me as well because if I'm focused on my wife the way that I should be, then I don't have the time, energy, or money to focus on anyone (or anything) else! I knew a lady that told me one time she was jealous of her husbands car b/c he put more money, effort and energy into that than he did in her! I'm not perfect in this area, but I'm definately making improvements, and I'm seeing it not only in my marriage, but in my relationship with my kids-especially with my daughters-who need a daddy to protect and show love to them. My girls won't lack a loving father figure in their lives!

With all that said, I'm working through a "Christian Ministries" class right now from Liberty. One of the books we're using is John MacArthur's "Fool's Gold". He makes the following quote on page 38 in his chapter on expository preaching when he is talking about the cool "side effect" of his preaching is that it immerses him in the Word of God and keeps him close to God, because

"the enemy of our souls is after preachers in particular,

and the sactifying grace of the Word of God is critical to our protection."

I can't emphasize it enough, the attacks are real! Guard yourself, and guard your marriage and family!