1 Peter 3:15-17 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing."
What the Japanese did at Pearl Harbor and the terrorists did to the twin towers set the tone for what is happening today for many pastors in many churches. It was that sneak attack on December 7, 1941 that created a day we will never forget in our history. Many of us were watching live after the first tower was struck and on fire when we saw the second plane hit the second tower. Those sneak attacks have forever altered our history and the course of our nation.
While not as dramatic an event internationally or nationally, a sneak attack on a pastor can be as damaging and deadly on a personal scale. Growing up in a pastor's home and being a pastor myself I have seen this bad attitude arise so many times that I can't even begin to count them.
A sneak attack comes from somewhere you don't expect. It usually involves someone you have confidence in, but most especially love and have made sacrifice after sacrifice for. These attacks often occur when you think you are on the mountaintop, but most assuredly they will come when you are discouraged already. These attitudes can and often will be the final straw in the decision making process of a man of God going forward or just giving up.
In one church I served I helped some folks that I still love today. I treated them like family, had confidence in them, and was always there when they needed me. Yet, when I needed them the most they just vanished as into thin air and the next thing I hear is that I did something to hurt them and that's why they had left the church. First off, I didn't do what I was accused of and secondly, I was so stunned because of the pastor/member relationship that we had. I could not believe that they would do this to me because they loved me too much. But guess what? They did and I still have to deal with the hurt that I felt then sometimes even today.
That's why the words of Peter mean more to me today than they ever have. When he wrote, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear," he was writing to me.
The Message says it plainly, "Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy."
The hardest thing to do is explain to others what happened when a sneak attack has come against you. I have learned through the years that when you have to try to explain why something happened people still have questions in their minds. Yet I have come to understand what Peter means in this passage.
-First, no matter what comes my way, Christ must be the center of my focus in my heart. If I have failed or done wrong, He will reveal it to me. If I have been unfaithful or unfruitful, He will let me know. In whatever situation I face my relationship with Jesus must be first and foremost. I must give attention to that.
-Secondly I must be on guard to verbally give an answer for any circumstances that may come my way with courtesy, not with anger or malice. This is not to justify what somebody said about me, or falsely accused me of, but to speak without blame or negativity to explain why certain things took place that I cannot fully understand and still maintain my integrity.
I had one sneak attack in particular that was not against me but a member of my staff. However, because I was not allowed to deal with it as I felt I should have I was maligned, attacked, and falsely accused in a way that I had never been before. There was no reasoning with the individuals involved. No matter what I would have done in the situation I'm convinced they would have continued in the process to get what they wanted by unsavory means. The sad part about it is that dozens of people were affected and many left the faith because of this event.
Could I have handled it differently? Looking back on it, maybe so. But I'm still convinced not matter what I did it would not have mattered. The sneak attack would have still come and I would have had to still deal with the fallout. (Continued tomorrow)
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