I know some long-term pastors who have faced the ebb and flow of ministry many times. When they faced one of those times of ebb, they rethought their approach and rebounded. On the other hand I have seen some who continued with the wrong flow and ended up losing everything. They had a chance to change direction, but the current of popularity or personal gain was too strong for them to stop.
I spoke with a great gospel songwriter last week who shared some very personal things with me about the ebb and flow of his ministry. He shared how he was riding a wave of success and then how things quickly turned wrong. He was hurt, spiritually and mentally, and could have gotten revenge on the ministry that wronged him. A national news outlet wanted him to out the individuals that had caused him so much pain and discomfort. Even though retaliation was possible, he chose to go against the tide and stay spiritually strong. Even though he was tempted to get back at those who wronged him, God stepped in and turned the tide. His refusal to ride the wrong flow allowed God to work on his behalf.
Confession is good for the soul and I have to admit it's easier to justify your action of retaliation when you are wronged. Again, I've done it myself and sometimes still catch myself riding that wrong flow. Hurt is hurt and when that hurt comes because of your peers it's devastating. But when God says, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," He means it. I can't justify going down the same path with those that did me wrong, even though I would like to at times. What I can do is understand that in every walk of life we can build a bridge to stop the flow of negativity. Let it be our prayer to stop the flowing flood waters and be bridge builders for something good.
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