A few weeks ago we were all rocked by the news about Ted Haggard and his struggles. First, let me tell you, my heart aches for him, his wife, his kids, and their church body. Nobody wins in this. If you’re thinking, oh year, Satan wins. Can I remind you that the story isn’t done yet, and that God loves to redeem our failures to be trophies of His grace!
Anyways, here’s some thoughts I have about the whole situation…
1) Pastor Haggard stated that this has been a life long struggle for him. It saddens me that a man who really loves the Lord and has served Him with his life couldn’t get help for his battle. For whatever reason, it appears he never felt comfortable seeking help from for his struggle. This is sad, because victory and freedom are ours in Christ.
2) I’ve been asked a ton lately about my accountability. Why does everyone assume because a pastor fell that we’re all in that boat. I know a ton of people from every walk of life that struggle with sin, don’t single out pastors. However, I do realize that we’re held to a higher standard, so here’s some rules I have always had for myself in ministry to help build hedges around myself…
- I never travel alone. I always travel with my wife or another staff member of the same sex. I rarely leave the office during the day without someone with me.
- I never meet with a woman alone. Never. Not anytime. Doesn’t happen.
- I don’t counsel women. This can lead to attachment that’s not healthy.
- I don’t have unaccounted for time. People (my wife, my assistants, other staff) always know where I’m at and what I’m doing.
- I don’t have unaccounted for money. I have two credit cards. One is a business card that’s checked by our financial team for every expense. The other is a personal card which my wife checks for every expense. I rarely have more than $20 in my pocket. This said, I don’t have the funds to get into trouble
- I have friends who are very close to me and know when I’m struggling with something. I seek to be open and honest with these guys.
3) If somebody has set in their heart that they are going to sin, it’s hard to stop them. Even with all the protections and accountability in the world, nobody is beyond temptation. So, I seek to keep growing in my relationship with Christ, and maintain a healthy love for Him, balanced with a healthy fear of His discipline.
4) I magnify the consequences in my heart. I don’t ever want to have to tell Lori, the love of my life, that I’ve blown it. It would devestate her. I don’t ever want to have to tell my kids that daddy didn’t live like he taught. This would cause incredible damage in their lives, especially in their relationships with Christ. I don’t ever want to forfeit the ministry God has blessed me with at Palm Valley Church. So many people would be hurt!
5) Ultimately, I covet the support and prayers of the awesome people at PVC. I am honored to be called your pastor. Realize that this places a target on my chest, and please pray for me and the rest of the staff!
That’s some thoughts, that I hope make you think. We’re all on a journey to become more like Christ. I pray for Ted Haggard, that God would bring freedom into his life, and forgiveness from those around him. While much of the Christian community heaps guilt (is that Christ like?), I pray God’s grace for him and his family.
