How To Avoid Derailment in the Ministry
To finish well we must cooperate with God’s Holy Spirit. We can start by doing the following:
1. Develop noble character
Remember the train wreck where the investigators concluded that a defect in the track caused the train to derail? So it is with leaders. We derail because we don’t deal with our character issues.
Consider this fact about character. When you see a leader who has failed in an outward, visible aspect of life, you know there was a failure in the inner life. The Scripture states, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23, NKJV). What is on the inside eventually is manifested on the outside. If we fail to deal with secret sins, they will eventually be made public.
Have you ever bitten into an apple and found a worm in it, and yet the outside of the apple showed no hole or entry point for the worm? How did the worm get inside the apple? Clearly it could not have burrowed in from the outside. Scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does it get in there? Simple. When the apple tree has only blossoms, an insect lays an egg in an apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats its way out. Like the worm, sin begins in the heart and works out through the behavior.
2. Protect your ministry
I asked several leaders why their colleagues had derailed. One leader responded, "He did not put safety measures into his life and ministry."
Another stated, "He placed himself above the possibility of failure."
A third responded, "He had nobody in his life who was honest with him. He had too many back patters."
A safety measure that leaders can put in place is accountability. Accountability is often viewed as something to be avoided at all costs. However, it is actually a blessing for those willing to submit to it. To be accountable means you are willing to be responsible to another person for your actions and thoughts. Accountability implies a level of submission to others’ opinions and viewpoints.
Proverbs 27:6 declares that "faithful are the wounds of a friend" (NIV). In this context a "wound" might be a friend’s constructive criticism. Such criticism may hurt for a while, but eventually it will bring good to the one who receives it. Having friends who provide you with advice and honest feedback is a great blessing.
3. Beware of bitterness
One leader warned, "Don’t let the circumstances of life embitter you." They will, if you give them a chance.
One man grew bitter toward people because of a significant interpersonal disappointment. I asked a friend of his what became of the man. He responded with sadness, "He spent 30 years wandering around in a spiritual desert."
The Scripture speaks of the root of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). When the roots of a tree grow and spread out, it is difficult to uproot the tree. That man’s bitterness had taken root and even 30 years of wandering did not uproot it.
Leaders should treat bitterness as they would adultery and murder. As surely as the latter can destroy a life, bitterness can also. We dare not take bitterness less seriously than sins of the flesh. Bitterness can destroy too.
4. Be willing to adapt
Leaders must understand that what worked in the past may not work today. The leadership style they practiced in the past may not work in their present context. Pastor John, the pastor I referred to at the beginning of this article, apparently did not understand his context and attempted to change things in his church too fast. Leaders must recognize when their present approach or skills are failing to meet the current challenges. They must be willing to adapt.
Bill Hybels’ comments are relevant to this subject: "When you’ve stayed at one church as long as I’ve stayed here, there’s a price level you get comfortable paying. Every time that price goes up, I have to do a gut check: What am I in this for? Am I here to be comfortable and reduce personal cost? Or am I here to pour out my life as a drink offering to Jesus?"4
I was talking with two pastor friends about adapting. One said, "Pastoring today is quite different from 20 years ago."
The other pastor commented, "Yeah, and I don’t like the changes."
It is difficult to make significant adjustments in our lives. We agree with Mark Twain who said, "The only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper." Yet, to survive and flourish we must learn to adapt.
God sustains the leader who sincerely requests help. A minister friend faced probable derailment due to an addiction that had seized control of his life. He recognized his need and sought help from his district leaders. After rehabilitation he resumed his ministry and today he is doing well. His story offers hope to others facing derailment. He is realizing his dreams. Why? He humbled himself and obtained God’s help and the help of others. Through his experience he put into practice the Scripture, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12, NKJV).