It’s been a while since the last time I have taken the time to write. I feel today is very necessary as it will be very cathartic for me in my intent to give insight, revelation, and exposure to an issue plaguing people in ministry leadership positions but is not often discussed aloud. Anyone who has or is in any leadership position has had what the young kids call “shade being thrown on them.” Meaning the haters come out the wood work. Your past will continually be brought up by those who are intentionally looking to keep you in a place of the past, by those who are looking to taint your ministry by saying there is no way you should be in that position because of what you have done, and by people looking to take your place. However, your past can also be brought up by those who may have been effected by it and unintentionally cause you or others to question everything about yourself and your call. Now as believers we teach, preach, and believe that once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior than your past has been forgiven. Whereas this may not exempt you from some of the consequences of your past (i.e if you are a felon from past decisions made you still have to go through what felons do saved or not), it does exempt you from the ultimate penalty of your past. The place where a lot of us run into problems is trying to prove we aren’t our past as opposed to just living this life as Christ requires. Trying to prove you’re not your past is a futile process that will lead to frustration and a lot of mental issues such as depression.
I know that depression is a taboo word in the body of Christ but that is a very real issue and as leaders we go through it and fight it more often than we care to admit especially as it relates to dealing with the issues of our past. Please my brothers and my sisters understand that you were chosen not just despite your past but because of your past. I am not saying that one needs to be proud of your past and the things you have done but one also must understand that your past with all the wrong and right you have done made you who you are and got you where you are now. We quote the scripture in Romans 8:28 “For we know all things work together for the good of them who love the Lord, who are called according to HIS purpose” but do we really believe that everything we go through is working for the good. The good being to the glory of God. Nothing you have done or will do will ever shock or surprise God. He allowed you to go through it to make you for HIS purpose. The moment we truly realize that and believe that is the moment we have the proper ammunition to fight depression that stems from our past. See the enemy looks to use your past to hurt or hinder your progress by telling you that you aren’t worthy because of what you have been through or have done. He will try to discourage you because you were in ungodly predicaments prior to getting serious about your relationship with Jesus. The bible calls him the accuser of the brethren. It’s his job to recall your past and through it in your face, then cause you to hide it and try to prove you aren’t it which leaves you open to make more mistakes because in your effort to prove you aren’t it you also try to hide your past rather than deal with it. We’ve all heard the saying that what gets covered up can never get healed up. This cover up allows this seed to grow and fester, helping to make it grow stronger which can and often does open the door to the spirit of depression.
One of the other things the enemy will do with your past that helps to cause the spirit of depression to grow stronger is isolation. He will cause you to be so isolated for fear of someone finding out about your past or your struggles that you are left with no one to talk to (or at least in your mind). As leaders yes we need to be careful who we share our business with but no successful leader whether in ministry or in the secular realm has ever gotten to that level of success and effectiveness without a sounding board, a confidant, an ear to listen and even help correct and put in perspective when needed. We as leaders suffer from a Superman complex. We feel that because we have been placed by God in a position we can’t cause God to be seen in a bad light because of our struggles so we keep them to ourselves as well. This is nothing but ammunition for the enemy. He has no problem reminding you at the very moment you are about to minister or the very moment you are trying to hear from God, about your issues and your struggles you have hidden and begin to tell you how unworthy you are because of those things. But when you can be transparent you take away the ammo for the enemy to hit you with, you take away power that he has to hold over you. Allow me to give you an example, now most of you reading this don’t and will never listen to Eminem however I am going to use him as an example anyway. He used to do a lot of battle rapping in Detroit, now if you are unfamiliar with battles they are lyrical confrontations where the point is to defame your opponent in rhythmic fashion while at the same time allowing your flow to be on point. What made Em so great which is what he brought into his rap career was his ability to first expose what would be considered his flaws that could be used against him before then exposing his opponent’s flaws and using them against them. Doing this left his enemy with either no ammo or rehashing things he already exposed which in a battle is ineffective. This is how we need to approach our “battle” with the enemy, when we expose and uncover to a confidant our struggles and expose to God our struggles we defuse the enemies ability to hold it over our head. Furthermore we must come to the realization that we can’t make God look bad by being real with our faults it makes God look that much more amazing because if He can use you with your faults He can use me too. This confrontation with your past will force you to deal with your past which will help you get through it and be delivered from it. It doesn’t make one weak to admit they have struggles and shortcomings or even fight the spirit of depression it makes one wise. Wise enough to truly believe the word of God when He said that He ordered your steps, He knew what He was doing when He called you, and He would cause ALL things to work together for the good. Your job isn’t to make yourself worthy because you are worthy since God chose to call you, your job is simply to be obedient. Stop wrestling with your past and be delivered from it. Stop acting like you haven’t or aren’t fighting depression when you know you are. Stop not talking about what you’ve been through cus you never know who you maybe able to help or cause to come to Christ because if you struggle and God is turning your life around than He can do the same for me. Don’t negate the power of the blood of Jesus by thinking your issues can keep people from salvation allow your testimony to be known and deal with those things with in you as well that the fullness of the power of Jesus can be revealed through you and your story. As always grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!
No comments:
Post a Comment