As we have been meeting and speaking with a number of church leaders in various parts of the UK, who are from a variety of different denominations, we are hearing similar stories. These stories are based around how individuals seem to be dealing with their own issues and vulnerabilities by looking to blame someone else, primarily their church leaders! It really is causing some of these leaders we’ve spoken to, to seriously consider leaving the ministry, because they can’t take the strain that it’s putting on them and their mental health, and the impact it’s having on their families and their church family.
If it was just an odd case or two, we would probably not have thought too much about it, but due to the numbers that we’re encountering and the anecdotal stories we’re hearing from friends about their friends, this is definitely something that is happening nationally, something that the church needs to wake up to.
I don’t want to just blame the enemy and give him any credit. I don’t see every issue I face as an attack, sometimes it’s just me making stupid decisions! But we know that we do have an enemy, who is deceitful and who appears to be having a field day in causing divisions within the body of Christ. If he can get us to take our focus off Jesus, he can begin to undermine our faith, one bit at a time. The enemy appears to be attempting to use a variety of distractions to do this. What we need to do is to recognise distractions for what they are, to be able to judge between what are genuine issues and what are mere smoke screens.
In the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem his enemies attempt to distract him from the task through ridicule, threats and calls to compromise. While in the story of Jesus walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33), we see an example of how easy it is to be distracted even when you are walking with Jesus. In the passage, Peter answers Jesus’ invitation to get out of the boat, but then he gets distracted by what’s going on around them, he takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink.
When faced with distractions, we shouldn’t react immediately, but instead we should keep our eyes on Jesus. Remember that:
- Not all distractions are obvious.
- Distractions are not always a bad thing.
- Distractions affect us emotionally.
- Distractions bring fatigue, they drain your energy.
- Some distractions are just normal life.
- Some distractions are a result of the environment we choose to live in, what we watch, who we socialise with and who we follow on social media.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, remember that there are no great men (or women) of God, just weak people who have a great focus on God! Faith is connected to your focus!
Please remember your church leaders, pray for them and encourage them. Think about your recent conversations, both those with your leader and those with others about your leader. Were they loving and encouraging?
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