As I continue to study and read different articles on stress and burnout in ministry, the topic of moral failure keeps returning. The need for escape from ministry seems to be fulfilled by running to something exactly the opposite of ministry. The escape from ministry can be confused as an escape from God and a relationship with Him. It ends up as someone running from God, and running to worldly ways. Some persons in ministry refer to things such as “Guilty Pleasures” and commonly admit to television shows, unhealthy eating, or even an alcoholic beverage now and then. However, other stories are also common. Things such as alcoholism, pornography, and affairs seem to be common, and on the rise. If you are dealing with something a little more than a guilty pleasure, I came across an article by rick Warren called How to Avoid a Moral Failure In Ministry and Leadership. I think it has some great advice. I’ve summarized it below, but encourage you to check it out for yourself.
The first piece of advice is to Commit to God’s Standards. Pastor Warren quotes Ps 119:9 and points out how when you live according to the word, you are able to keep your life pure. It’s important to realize that Scripture should be our standard, and if it’s not, we may not realize temptations as what they are when they are coming our way.
Next is to Maintain your marriage. If you are finding yourself attracted to others, to redirect that attraction towards your spouse. He references Prov 5:18&19, and 1 Corinthians 7:5. I heard a quote from Zig Ziegler the other day. He said, “Gentlemen, if you treat your wife like a thoroughbred, you’ll never end up with a nag.”
Manage your mind makes the list, as he reminds us that desire and lust start in the mind. He cautions us to know and understand how temptation works, and gives us James 1:14&15 to consider.
Monitor your media intake. He brings up Matthew 6:22&23 and reminds us what scripture tells us about our eyes. Many use this verse to call the eyes the gateway to the soul. Our culture is saturated with sexual images, so Warren also gives us David’s standards in Ps. 101:3 “I will set no vile thing before my eyes”
Minimize the opportunities for temptations. Jesus tells us to keep watch and pray so you will not fall into temptation. (Matt.6:41) Here are two suggestions. First is to know the situations we might be tempted, and second, to pray when we find ourselves in those situations. Also, Warren cautions us about the company we keep and reminds us it’s a biblical principle that bad company corrupts good character.
Finally, he tells us to Magnify the consequences. Both of the temptation, and of running from it. The consequences of both are massive. He also give us scripture for the consequences of surviving temptation, and I encourage you to look up James 1:12 for that blessing. Please take time to look up all these scriptures, and click on the hyperlink above to check out the full article.
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