Have you ever had someone that you look up to fall morally? Have you witnessed up close the hurt associated with affairs? In the recent days, our nation has been reminded in many cases the fallout associated with marital unfaithfulness. From celebrities to politicians to pastors, it seems like no one is exempt from the possibility. If you are like me, not only the national headlines hit you hard, but people near you have fallen as well.
These tragic incidents witnessed up close and from afar have changed me. From those stopping short of finishing the race (2 Tim 4:7), I have learned to identify their weaknesses in order to save my own walk. From their collective mistakes, I have learned critical lessons concerning leadership, faithfulness, and integrity.
First, no one fails in one moment, but each person fails one small compromise after another.
Second, people who fall are normally in some type of isolation or pseudo-community.
Third, I have learned that no one is above falling including myself.
Finally, their examples have taught me the need for more consistent confrontation. Most of those who have recently fallen seemed as if something was not right before the truth came out. Their examples taught me that if someone appears to be suspicious, the truth is probably even worse than imagined. Due to that fact, I must commit myself to biblical confrontation for the sake of those around me (Jas 5:19-20).
In the next few days, I want to give a few tidbits of advice concerning what to do when those closest to you fall. Stay tuned.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
“Families don’t crumble in a day”……….Tony Morgan had an awesome blog post about this same topic when Gary Lamb announced his affair. Check it out!
Hey, have you seen this news article?
New details about Michael Jackson’s Death Emerge
I was wondering if you were going to blog about this…