Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor, for if they fall one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." Jesus sent them out "two by two" and great things happened! I have heard it said that they were sent out in twos to help protect each other from attack; which I agree is a good rational reason and I am sure there is much more to it than that.
The attack on ministry is just a real today as ever. Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or contention in their churches.(http://maranathalife.com/lifeline/stats.htm)most of these Pastors go take an hourly job and many never return to church! I struggle writing this without deep emotion rising within me. I love Pastors!! I love the fact that they said "YES" to the call of God! Not one of them said yes with plans for it to end this way! I'm sure each of them were connected to some sort of denomination or credentialing organization. Yet, I wonder who were they in community with? Who did they turn to in the times of stress and attack? You see you don't turn to your denominational leaders just because they are your leaders. You only turn to someone you trust, someone you have built a relationship with, someone who is for you, not just going the same way you are going. Yet I find most Pastors & people in full time ministry very buried with the ministry and often do not take the time nor the energy to build those relationships that will help them through the storms that will be. And they often do not know how to reach out to build such relationships.
Dave Carder (Who has helped many Pastors and Ministers through issues of failure)
in His book "Close Calls" says that he know longer believes in Accountablility groups. This took me back at first. He said that accountability groups do not work. But that "Vulnerability groups" do work. You see we can not be accountable if we are not willing to be vulnerable; and we will not be vulernable if we have not built a relationship. Relationships are built on trust and they take time.
Ministry is to be done in community with others of like precious faith!
Who knows you? Do you open up to them in the difficult storms?
Are you vulnerable to someone who is for you?
If not, then you are more vulnerable to the storms than Jesus ever intended you to be?
I desire taht you "Fight the good fight, finish your race and keep the Faith" II Timothy 4:7
email me with thoughts questions or answers to this blog: djdeskins@gmail.com
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Great word. Really good thoughts and yes, very concerning and yes, difficult making those relationships, but Oh so needed. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTransparency is not easy for most of us. Real relationships are not easy either. Every problem starts as a thought. Our thoughts and rational can get weird sometimes. It is imperative that we have someone who helps us renew our mind and adjust our thoughts to a better way of thinking. God, His Word and the Holy Spirit are always working to purify and perfect us but sometimes we become dull to their work in us. It is in these times God uses our relationships to rescue us. To help us up and help us out. I have had many close calls in ministry when Satan worked hard to destroy. Thank God I have made it through. Many times God used a spiritual father or the prayer and intercession of a friend to deliver the breakthrough I needed. Thanks for the blog Dwayne. It is very good and very needed.
ReplyDeletePatrick Yes, it is the "hard things" that separate true leaders. Love your heart and your response.
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the transparency. That attracts others to share their hearts. Iron sharpens iron when we come together in authentic relationships.
Good stuff
Dwayne
What do you see as the needed ingredients to bring this about in your life?
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I read a guy who was advocating editability over accountability. His argument was that accountability is based on the assumption that you will fail and the purpose of accountability is to make sure the worst doesn't happen. Editability, by contrast, is based on the assumption that you can be better and is focused on helping you reach your potential. According to his viewpoint, accountability is designed to help avoid the worst while editability is designed to help reach the best.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting approach. I like the thought process in that. Do you know who the guy was or a link to the article?
It was Jospeh R. Myers in his book Organic Community, chapter 8. David Roberts currently has my copy of the book if you want to get it away from him. :)
ReplyDelete