Over the years in ministry, I have been very blessed. God has used me to be a positive encouragement to people in their faith and I feel very fortunate to play a part in their lives in that way. God has used me in ways I never thought would be possible. However, while this is true, there have also been a bunch of times when I have made some really bonehead decisions over time. One of those decisions I have made, really hit me hard.
One of the things I really loved to do as a youth leader was to take former students and help them become leaders in our youth group when they graduated. It was a win/win for the former student and the leadership team. However, while I had good success there, it didn’t always work out. One of those times, I really hurt a former student/leader and I didn’t even realize it until many years later.
Did I Make a Mistake?
This former student was struggling in their faith and making some poor decisions in college. And, as a ministry, we really didn’t feel like it was the best interest of the ministry and the students to have this person lead anymore. And, truthfully, I felt like this person didn’t really want to lead anyways, so I was thinking I was letting them off the hook by removing them as a leader.
While, I felt like that was the right decision at the time for the leadership team, I realized years later that I, and the ministry, had actually abandoned this leader. In turn, it caused an even further setback in their faith. See, while removing this person as a leader was appropriate, I should have used this opportunity for me and others in the ministry to walk beside this leader. We basically left this person out to dry. No follow up or follow through. We should have helped that person as they were struggling, rather than just assuming they didn’t want help.
Jesus’ Example
To illustrate this more, I am reminded of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. Jesus had every right to condemn the woman and have her stoned. It is what “the law” said. However, He choose to forgive and challenge her to leave her life of sin. Jesus made the right decision and took the right action.
In the decisions you have to make in ministry, you may be “right” in your decision, but it can still be the wrong decision. For instance, this former student felt abandoned by my action. She wasn’t blaming me for how her life played out, but I know that I did some damage to her faith. Had I removed her from her leadership position, which was the right thing to do, but connected her with a small group or life group, walking along side of her while she struggled with her faith, that would have been the even better thing to do.
Thankfully, God has been working on her life and she has been growing in her faith today. We have even recently talked about this. Had she not talked to me, I would have never had known.
You can have the right motives, but it still make the wrong decision in ministry. See how you can make the right decisions on tough calls. Click To TweetConclusion
There is no easy decisions when it comes to people and ministry. Every decision you make has the potential to have high impact or devastating consequences. While you will have to make tough decisions, choose to always think about the impact you are having on people as you make those decisions. The more you can think about the person and the relationship that person has with God, the more likely they are going to draw closer to Him, rather than further away. Let God be your guide as you navigate these decisions so that you make the right decision and take the right action.
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