The Beginning of Tragedy
The Wonder Ship known as the Titanic was interlaced with the most revolutionary equipment of its day and no other ship compared to it. But on April 14, 1912, this “Unsinkable Ship” disappeared from plain sight. The nearly three football field long behemoth sank, costing the lives of over 1,500 men and women. Riddled with one poor decision after another, the unthinkable became reality when the colossal monstrosity’s leader made three major mistakes: going too fast, ignoring warning signs, and making a fatal wrong turn.
The Bigger They Are, the Greater the Tidal Wave
Similar to the Titanic, a series of high-profile pastors have recently fallen from church leadership due to sin and other major problems in their personal lives, spiritually affecting hundreds of thousands of people. The wreckage left by poor decisions from these men have caused a major ripple effect throughout the Christian community.
While the sins of these men are certainly tragic, what would be even more devastating is if we do not learn from their mistakes. Like the Titanic, these pastors have surely suffered from moving too fast in ministry, avoiding warning signs given them by Scripture and other Christians, and making wrong turns in their own moral decision-making process. Their lack of scriptural anchoring and misguided spiritual trajectory has cost them their ministries.
Avoiding Catastrophe
As worship leaders, how can we avoid capsizing our worship ministry? What can we personally do to avoid being the next casualty within the spiritual sea of worship leaders? Can we glean from others that have fallen in their ministries to avoid the same fates? Three nuggets of advice can steer us toward success.
Problem: Going too Fast – Solution: Follow God’s Will and Timing
First, going too fast in ministry relates to getting ahead of God’s will. Sometimes God reveals His will to us before he shows us His timing. In Gen. 12:1-7, God promised Abram He would provide Abram descendants. Abram doubted God (Gen. 15:1-3) along with Sarai (Gen. 16:1-2) so Sarai gave her maidservant, Hagar, to Abram. If Abram and Sarai (later Abraham and Sarah) had trusted both God’s will and His timing, they would have seen God’s faithfulness play out. We should do the same in not getting ahead of God’s will and timing within our worship ministries.
Problem: Ignoring the Signs – Solution: Heed God’s Word and the Holy Spirit
Ps. 119:11 encourages us to saturate our minds and hearts with God’s Word so that we will not sin against Him. As worship leaders, knowing God’s Word and listening to the Holy Spirit will give us clear direction in how to steer our worship teams in the way God desires. If we follow other churches, do not listen to God’s warnings, and ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we are surely doomed to be sunk in our ministries.
Problem: Fatal Wrong Turns – Solution: Be Discipled and Mentored
Being discipled and mentored by more mature worship leaders will help us to steer clear of unforeseen spiritual icebergs that lie below the surface of what our eyes cannot see. When we stand alone as worship leaders and do not have other mature Christians speaking into our lives, we are vulnerable to attacks that can blindside us and cause us to be the next spiritual casualty.
Successfully Navigating the Spiritual Waters of Worship Ministry
Following God’s will and timing, heeding His Word and the Holy Spirit, and being discipled and mentored are three critical aspects of keeping your worship team healthy and strong. Avoid the temptation of making decisions ahead of God. Saturate your heart and mind with God’s Word and remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Keep mature worship leaders around you to pour into you and help you grow as a worship leader. Allowing these truths to be your spiritual compass will help you avoid sinking your worship ministries and enable you and your worship team to successfully navigate the spiritual waters of worship ministry.
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