We can’t seem to go a day without learning about yet “another” Christian leader suffering a public fall.
Whether they were caught in a sexual scandal, busted living a double life, to even denouncing Christianity altogether – when a leader falls – it impacts a lot of people.
So how should we Biblically handle our own feelings of anger, grief, and mistrust when a Christian leader falls?
Respond In Humility
It can be easy to look at the exposed sin of another believer and use it as a distraction to avoid looking at the sin in our own lives.
“How could THEY do this!” one might exclaim after a pastor is caught having an affair.
While the leaders entrusted to shepherd God’s flock are held to a higher standard – their public fall should serve as a humble warning to us all – that it could happen to ANY of us if we entertain sin in our lives.
Generally speaking, a fall doesn’t just happen – but is rather a result of a gradual decline or falling away from the faith.
Usually pride is a major component – as sometimes people believe the lie that they’re “smarter” than the last guy and won’t get caught – or are somehow “above” God’s laws.
Let the fall of a leader implore us all to self-reflect on our own lives and ask God – or rather BEG Him – to create in us a clean heart by bringing any of our sins to the surface and riding us of them.
Pray For Them
Sure – depending on your relationship with the one who fell – you might be experiencing a range of emotions such as shock, disappointment, or even betrayal.
Allow yourself to grieve and feel what you are experiencing – but don’t get stuck in your feelings.
Bring your feelings to the foot of the cross and ask Jesus to help you forgive this person, and pray for Him to restore them.
I experienced a situation in my own life where I learned the pastor who had led me to Christ had fallen away from the Christian faith.
He had an affair, divorced his wife, and started focusing on “living one’s best life now” through psychological mind tricks and hacks.
The same pastor who taught me not store up treasures on earth had now sold out and had become fascinated with appealing to the “rich executive” by selling his new program.
I was heartbroken and discouraged, but it compelled me to pray for him – while also humbly reminding me that it is truly only by the grace of God that I stand.
Check Your Idols
Sometimes we can almost idolize our pastor or another public leader – without even realizing it.
But when leaders fall, it’s a sobering reminder that we are all human and prone to wander.
Make sure your faith is built upon the Word of God – and not dependent on a particular person – regardless of how “infallible” they may seem.
At the end of the day, Jesus is the only one Who will never let us down.
So let us cling to the cross and do a heart check to make sure we have no idols in our lives.
And please remember to pray for all the Christian leaders in your life – as those who are on fire for Christ are often a target for the Enemy to take down.
May God help all of us to hold fast to His truths and keep His commands.
Have you ever known a Christian leader who suffered a public disgrace?
If so, how did you respond?
You can post your answers to our Facebook page and join in the conversation with other believers from all around the world.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17
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