Can You Forgive Leaders Who Fall?

For some time now, I have been doing a daily Bible Study from the Maxwell Leadership Bible. The lesson for yesterday and today, seemed to speak volumes to my own experience, so I decided to share.

 

 

 

FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS 

So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.

LEVITICUS 8:36 

            Aaron, like many leaders through history, received a divine calling. God chose Aaron and his sons to serve as Israel’s priests and charged them with carrying out rituals and sacrifices on behalf of all Israelites. Scripture gives meticulous detail to their ordination and calling. Their conduct was to be beyond reproach-God made it crystal clear that failure to uphold His established guidelines would result in death.

            Despite his high calling, Aaron at times struggled with his authority. He once caved into the depraved wishes of the people and led Israel in a pagan worship service, an abomination that led to deaths of many Israelites. Aaron had been set apart for God’s service, but on that occasion, he chose to live and lead otherwise.

            The failure of a leader usually results in consequences far more grave than the fall of a non-leader. On the day Aaron failed, “about three thousand men of the people fell [died]” (Exodus 32:28). When leaders fail, followers also pay the price.

The Maxwell Leadership Bible 

Have you witnessed the fall of a leader and the effects that come from it?

 

I have witnessed two churches that fell apart after leadership fell, and they both had a few things in common. 

I am using false names here as not to further harm good people. 

We will assume that the pastors name was Fred. He sinned, the sin was made known to the congregation, and in both circumstances, the pastors walked away from the churches. In both cases, they walked away rather than see more harm done.  

With Fred #1, there was denial of the wrong even though it resulted in prison. There was no repentance.  

With Fred #2, there was complete admission of the sin, asking forgiveness first from God, then from his family, then from everyone else. There was absolute repentance.  

As a sinner myself, who has been forgiven much, I didn’t have a big problem forgiving either of them, as my Heavenly Father forgave me. 

I think a crucial part of my ease at forgiving them was that I never for one moment of my Christian walk, attended ‘The Church of Fred’.

As a small child I attended the Methodist Church, I have attended the Baptist Church, I attended a Lutheran Church, and now I attend a non-denominational church, but they are all just buildings, with good men and women in leadership positions in  buildings designated for gathering to worship together. BUT - I still attend the Church established by Jesus Christ’s birth, death and resurrection.  

I worship the God who created the sun, the stars, the earth, and everything else just by speaking them into existence.

I respect those who take it upon their shoulders and hearts, and who listened to the Holy Spirit, and answered the call to pastor churches, but I don’t and never have worshipped them.  

My God is the OMNI God. 

He is Omniscient – All Knowing.  

He is Omnipresent – Present Everywhere.  

He is Omnipotent – All Powerful.  

Men (and women) sin. They make wrong choices. They harm others by their actions, but I serve a God who loves and forgives. 

That’s what I learned from today’s Bible lesson.  

I’d like to know how you feel about those who fall. Do you forgive those who fail?