The rise and fall of ministry leaders due to moral impropriety has a long history within the church. Pastors, seminarians, and ministry leaders are often warned about the need to “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Timothy 4:16). Moral failures can happen for a variety of reasons. Some fall because they have unrepentant sin, they neglect their time with the Lord, they are burned out, or they don’t meet the character qualifications outlined in Scripture—to name just a few. However, one area that seems to be overlooked is moral failures that can occur from ministry success.
Ministry Success and Spiritual Formation
It might come as a shock, but we need to be aware of how ministry success can shape our character. When ministry leaders experience a season of fruitfulness, they should recognize how their hearts can be tempted to move away from a dependence on God. The allure of success can cause us to trust in our own giftings and buy into our own brands. The praise of people creates an intense struggle and temptation to think you are above moral failure and that you deserve the accolades that come with a thriving ministry. Nevertheless, you are not alone in this struggle. King David’s life reminds us to persevere by fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1–2).
King David’s Success and Subsequent Moral Failures
In 2 Samuel 10, David and his army defeated Ammon and Syria in battle. This defeat was headline news. King David led his men into a battle against the Syrians and killed 700 men who rode on chariots and 40,000 horsemen (2 Samuel 10:18). To give you context, over 36,000 Americans were killed in the Korean War, and David’s weaponry was not as advanced as ours is today. We can all agree that David’s victory was a moment of success. Yet, when kings were supposed to go out to battle with the army, King David stayed in Jerusalem for the next battle (2 Samuel 11:1). The result was David’s affair and subsequent orders to murder Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.
The Warning
David’s victory and subsequent moral failures warns us of what can happen on the heels of ministry success. I pray that God does work through you in your ministry. However, before he does, I pray that you are growing in the character traits and attributes that he requires of his leaders so that when he grants you ministry fruitfulness, you will not fall into temptation. One question I have asked myself in looking at King David’s moral failures is, “How can ministry leaders stay faithful to God’s calling and blessings without disqualifying themselves from ministry?” My answer can be narrowed down into 4 disciplines we can practice right now.
The Four Disciplines:
- Daily cultivate godly character. Trusting the gospel, walking in God’s ways, pursuing holiness, and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit are all habits that should be developed throughout—and perhaps before—ministry. What comes out of you when you are squeezed reflects what is in your heart. The more you walk with and put on Christ each day the less likely you are to have a moral failure when God works through you.
- Develop a consistent quiet time routine. Generate healthy practices in your spiritual disciplines. Start building daily habits of prayer, Bible reading, fasting, and communing with the body of Christ. Schedule these spiritual disciplines every day because when ministry success comes, they will keep you humbled, grounded, and connected to the vine (John 15:5). A consistent quiet time with the Lord serves to remind us that it is God who is working in and through his leaders.
- Establish mentors who can speak truth into your life and ministry. We all, like King David, need some Nathans around us. Nathan’s prophetic voice spoke truth to David even when it was unpleasant. You need wise and trustworthy people in your life who can ask the difficult questions and speak the hard truths to you. I have found two types of accountability partners helpful for ministry: accountability mentors and theological mentors. The former review my character while the latter help me watch over my doctrine.
- Give God the glory and praise. Ministry is about keeping the focus and glory on God not us. Avoid using phrases like “I did,” or “we are doing.” These types of sentences remove the glory from God and places them on the ministry leader. And, yes, words do have a way of shaping our character. Those words can lead us to pride, which can lead us to moral failures. When this attitude seats itself in our hearts from ministry success, we are tempted to think that we either deserve to dabble in sin or we won’t get caught breaking God’s commands. The way to fight against pride is by saying, “God is doing,” or “God did.” These phrases seek to remind and communicate with others that God is the one who brings the growth and success in our ministries (Acts 2:47).
Finish Well
Moral failures are a sad reality. The longer you are in ministry, the more you will know and hear about pastors who have fallen and are no longer serving Jesus in vocational ministry. While I understand that we all wrestle and struggle with sin differently, I believe that these four disciplines place us in a better position to remain faithful to God’s calling on our lives. Therefore, lean into God so that through his grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, you will cross the finish line for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Timothy Scholars
Students who have a calling to pastoral ministry in a local church can complete a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity in five years through the Timothy Scholars program (BA to MDiv). Students in this program must have a passion for learning and maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher. Timothy Scholars (BA to MDiv) students also have the opportunity to complete coursework under the leadership of a local church pastor, complete mission hours both nationally and internationally, and experience ministry first hand
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