Friends
The scripture clearly states:
‘Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another...’. (James 5: 16)
Another reason that contributed to the downfall of Justin was the lack of any spiritual friends. Justin was a very friendly and social person, one who took care of his congregants in all aspects of their lives; in fact, his church members had such confidence that they would share almost everything concerning their families with him. They always found him standing with them in the thick and thin of life, praying with them, counseling them. He would be the first to reach them in times of trouble. The congregants drew strength from Justin when life demanded more than they could endure. However, this also made him a man lonely at the top. What he lacked in his ministry was a friend who could give him some advice when needed. His personality deterred even his contemporaries from the leading sister churches to approach him concerning anything.
Today, he understands the importance of a spiritually strong friend, who would not hesitate to point a finger at his faults. The need to have a spiritual friend, particularly of the same sex, has great importance in one’s ministry. Same sex, because the temptation to develop inordinate affection between them would be highly unlikely. A friend, who is spiritually mature, would be able to help in times of temptation and desist from indulging in gossip. This friend would be a support when one is standing on slippery grounds and would have no qualms about calling a spade a spade.
Today, Justin understood that a minister does become a star performer for his congregants, and it is human for the followers to give extra attention to charisma of the leader. However, this is the very time when the minister needs to be more vigilant about one’s conduct. The friend should have a free reign to point out circumstances where one would go wrong. The minister should be able to share/confess with this friend one’s weak feelings with regard to the opposite sex that can develop from time to time. It is not only the feelings of inordinate affection, it can be strong envy, it can be strong dislike, it may be an unhealthy competition with another minister that may overpower a minister from time to time. It may be the temptation to go the unrighteous path when a financial crisis looms large. It may be a plain unbelief in God Himself, which Satan brings upon unsuspecting ministers on different occasions. In all such and many more pitfalls on the way that one may encounter, the friend would come to the rescue; to caution, to deter, to make see sense, to pick up the fallen comrade without rebuke, and last but not the least, to pray with such minister in the times of trials, temptations and tribulation.
The scripture says,
‘When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against ...’. (Isaiah 59: 19)
‘Such a friend’ could have saved Justin in his ministry, for all those who come with conviction to serve the Lord, truly want to glorify His name through their lives, but to be successful one needs to ensure that the basic guard is not let down. That is why a conglomeration of churches is better than a single mega church or a single famous preacher running the show. For it would not be very long before that the minister sitting alone at the top would be alienated, and Satan would find umpteen opportunities to pounce upon the unsuspecting mortal, who had unknowingly and unwittingly learnt to bask in glory; the fall will not be far.
Alas
Bible says, ‘Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later.’ (1 Timothy 5: 24)
Sooner than later, the judgment of sin is such a reality. Sin follows a person right after and after a certain time it overtakes; it is then that the dreadful weapon of sin ‘the consequence’ would mercilessly tread the sinner under its feet.
It will be glorious if none, particularly people who are serving God, may fall to temptations and thereafter suffer ‘the consequences’, which to the unsuspecting doer can be beyond human endurance. At the first sign of sorrow on the face of the loved ones, the first sign of welling of their eyes, the first time a well-wisher comes and reprimand; take note and repent, for thereafter sin will ensnare in such a powerful way that escape won’t be easy. Ignoring the above puts, the person on a protracted walk on the path of unrighteousness that would completely blind and present no opportunity to make amends.
Justin ultimately gained some semblance of normalcy to his life, but the ground that he had lost simply could not be recovered. The bygone teenage years of his sons could never again experience his fatherly love. Recovery of life after the tsunami of sin is such an arduous task. Resources may be there to cope up with the demands to rebuild, but each time one is upon the ruins, the pain would return; each time one is reminded of a life wasted by one’s actions, the remorse would come back. Do not give in to a life time of tears; today is the day to repent, today is the day of salvation.
Somewhere the Bible mentions, ‘The days of this life that are seventy years, and if by reason of strength they are eighty years’, but then not only the length of one’s life the happiness of it is also so very important. It is the question of a whole lifetime, which is too precious and too long to be ignored and sacrificed. Generally speaking, everyone values life, but at times there are those who are devoid of any understanding and do not learn even by others’ experiences; they have destined their lives for the slaughter. Fortunate are those who learn early and escape the aftermath of sin; the tumultuous waves of tsunami would not overwhelm them; they are the one who can run and take shelter in the name of the Lord that is the strong tower and be saved.
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