Tag: Bible

Christianity, Faith, Forgiveness, Hope

When you lose the most precious thing in the world.

Posted on by David L'Herroux

In February 1988, our lives as a family were going well. We had three beautiful children, and I was moving up the ladder in my career with a retail chain.

Our beautiful three children

I have always been an early bird, and my morning routine before leaving for work was to check on our youngest son Jamie, who was 13 months old. On the morning of February 9, I left for work but for some reason that day, I did not check on him. I arrived at work and just after 9am, I received an urgent phone call from a neighbour who said, ‘something has happened to Jamie, you need to come home.’

The details were not clear at that point, so I jumped into the car and drove home like I have never driven before. As I was racing along, the word ‘death’ kept coming into my head, and I screamed out to the Lord, ‘No, Lord… no, this CANNOT be true.’

Jamie
Jamie

As I arrived at home, the front door was open, the paramedics were working on Jamie, and I could hear the desperate cries of my wife. I still did not know what was going on, but I learned that our son Richard, who was 10, had found his brother unresponsive in his bed. The paramedics took Jamie to hospital, blue lights and sirens blazing, and my wife and I followed behind in the car. When we arrived at Casualty, we were met by the doctor and were not allowed to see Jamie while they worked on him. Eventually a doctor came out and we could see by the look on his face that it was not good news. Our beautiful son had died at 13 months old from sudden infant death syndrome.

We were numb, confused, angry and had many questions. Jamie had been for a routine check-up just a few weeks earlier and was fine. Had we done something wrong? Could this have been stopped? It felt as though we were trapped in a nightmare and we struggled to understand.

The hospital staff eventually told us that Jamie’s body was in the Chapel of Rest and asked if we wanted to see him. My wife did not feel able to go, so I went to spend some time there on my own. As I stood there, my heart cried and ached, and I said, ‘God, I KNOW you can do this, I know you can bring him back.’ As I prayed, I suddenly felt a strange tap on my shoulder. I immediately looked around, but no one was there. This happened three times, and each time, there was no one behind me. But then very clearly, I felt God speak into my spirit. I cannot say for sure if it was an audible voice, but I know God spoke:

‘He will not come back to you, but you will go to him one day.’

I learned years later that these were words spoken by King David in 2 Samuel 12:23 after he lost his own infant son. Although I did not recognise at the time where the words came from, I knew God was saying there was nothing more we could do. He had taken Jamie home. In one sense, it released me from the burden of praying for God to restore Jamie to us, but that did not stop us from feeling the desperate agony of grief.

In the days ahead, although our lives were shattered, we tried to keep things as normal as we could for our children, Richard and Natalie. Our church family gathered around us, and our pastor, John Mosey, was a wonderful friend, supporting us through the many practical arrangements we had to make. Little did we know that John would face his own terrible family tragedy toward the end of the year, but I will talk more about that in another blog post. The church’s support was incredible, but we still had so many questions. I felt God speak to me clearly one day: Stop asking me why. Ask me what I am going to do through it. 

Two weeks later, I had been due to speak at our church. Our pastor said I did not have to do it, but I was able to share a short word on Romans 8:31: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us.’ I asked our church family to pray for us, and I also encouraged them to be as normal as they could with us. We didn’t want people to stay away or think that we did not want to see their children or their babies. We knew this would be an important part of rebuilding our lives.

Throughout all that time, I can say that I felt God was lifting me. I had to grieve, but I also had the responsibility of caring for my wife and children too. My mother gave me a copy of the famous Footprints poem, and I knew that despite our shock and grief, God was carrying us through the darkest time of our lives.

Today as a family, we live and enjoy a good life. It is a different life which will always be scarred by losing Jamie, but we are not broken. We have been through many stages of grief, and up until recently, I was struggling with many private emotions. In a future blog post, I will share more on this and how I feel God has set me free from the burden of guilt which I carried for many years.

If you are facing your own tragedy today, then if you are a believer, you can know that God is with you and will carry you through it. As believers, we are not protected from pain, and we should not con ourselves and think we can go through this life without heartache. But God can hold us together powerfully through the most terrible times of our lives and give us strength to keep going.

After a terrible loss, your life may never be the same again, but with God, it can still be a good life. He is the reason for our hope, and we know that one day we will see Jamie again.

24
Christianity

God has already provided the answers

Posted on by David L'Herroux

In a previous blog, ‘How to turn a crisis into a testimony’, I wrote about the people of Israel and how they quickly turned from rejoicing to murmuring when they hit difficult times. 

As I have been continuing to look at Exodus 15, I have been reminded that in the middle of a crisis, our response to what is happening is very important. As Moses faced the people, who were angry and irritable because of the lack of water, I love his response. He could have sought to justify himself, but instead he did not reply. In verse 25, it says that his first response was to go to the Lord to intercede on behalf of the people. And guess what: it says ‘The Lord showed him a tree’. And as Moses threw a branch into the water ‘the waters were made sweet.’

As I studied these verses, several things came to mind.

A tree does not grow overnight

Any gardener knows just how long trees take to grow – many, many years. God used a tree to bring help to the people of Israel, which means that God created an answer long before there was even a problem. And I believe He has done that for us too. Whatever bitter waters we find ourselves in today, God has already gone ahead of us, making sure that the answer is there and ready just when we face our most bitter crisis. 

The answer was right there

In this particular situation, the answer was right there in front of their eyes, but they could not see it! In my experience, I have learned that often God’s answers are so close, and yet we can fail to see them. This is just like the widow with the small jug of oil in 2 Kings 6: the answer to her problem was there in her own house already, but she needed the prophet Elisha to reveal it to her. Can I encourage you that if you know the Lord as your personal saviour, then the answer to your situation is hidden within you, just as the same spirit that rose Christ from the dead also lives in you.

A miracle tree

In this story, God used a tree to make bitter waters sweet, but that tree also reminds me of the tree that Jesus died on over 2000 years ago. God threw his beloved son on to a tree to take the bitter sin of humanity so that anyone who believes in him would be able to discover the sweetness of life. You see, through Jesus we can not only have life, but we can experience abundant life. 

Whatever situation you find yourself in today, whether it is the stress caused by the global situation or you are facing your own private ‘bitter waters’, I would like to encourage you that the answer to your problems lies in Jesus Christ, who also lives in you. You might say ‘David, I don’t know what to do or where to turn.’ Well, my advice is to at least call on his name. He promises us this in Psalm 50: ‘Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.’  

He who never changes is able to bring peace to your bitter storm. Try it and see what happens.

3
Christianity

Discover the many names of God

Posted on by David L'Herroux

Recently, I have been sharing with the UCB team some of my own discoveries about the names of God. I have often said: ‘If you want to know who God is, look at His names’. Throughout the Bible, God is given many names, and each of them reveal a precious truth about his qualities and character. I find it very encouraging to read these names as they help me to understand more and more about God’s ‘character’ and what He feels about us, His creation.

Jehovah-raah – The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23)

In Psalm 23, David describes the Lord as ‘my shepherd’. I love the way David personalised it by saying not the Lord is THE Shepherd but MY Shepherd. Praise God that He is our Shepherd too, for God is a relational God. This picture of ‘The Lord Our Shepherd’ reveals some of His characteristics: He is good, He protects, He guides, He nurtures, He lays down his life. And in times of confusion or grief, let’s never, ever forget that He is OUR SHEPHERD too.

Jehovah Jireh – The Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14 and Philippians 4:19)

In Philippians 4:19, it says ‘My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’   We are reminded that Jehovah-Jireh knows our every need because He sees everything, including what you need. If the Lord was able to meet Abraham’s need by providing a ram caught in the thicket that was offered in place of Isaac, He’s also able to meet our needs at just the right time. Fear not, the name Jehovah-Jireh guarantees that your Heavenly Father is able to provide any need you have.

Jehovah Shalom – The Lord our peace (Judges 6:24)

The Hebrew word ‘shalom’, translated as ‘peace’, not only speaks of the absence of noise, strife or conflict – it speaks of wholeness, completeness, trustworthiness, and happiness. True and ultimate peace is found in God alone, and this comes to us when we focus our lives on God and put our trust in Him. His Word says ‘Are you weary and troubled? Well why not place your total trust in Jehovah-Shalom, and He will keep you in perfect peace’ (Isaiah 26:3).

Jehovah Rapha – The Lord who heals (Psalm 23 and Exodus 15)

It was in the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites that God first revealed His name as Jehovah-Rapha. After crossing the Red Sea, Moses led them into the Wilderness of Shur, where they went 3 days without water. Eventually, they came across the waters of Marah, but they could not drink from the waters, for they were bitter. So the people complained against Moses, and Moses then cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which he cast into the waters. In a moment, the waters were made sweet. The Lord does not only heal waters, He heals people too. If the Lord was able to heal the waters at Marah so that His people could drink, He is also able to heal us from any disease (Psalm 103:3). When we’re weak, Jehovah-Rapha will renew our strength the same way He did for David (Psalm 23:3 NLT).

Living in a stressful and chaotic world in these unprecedented times, the name Jehovah-Rapha speaks to us that our bitter experiences can be transformed into sweet ones, and yes, we are confronted with new problems every day that make us sometimes want to give up and give in. But we can count upon the Lord to heal and renew our strength. Jehovah is the Great Physician who not only heals our physical and emotional needs, but He also heals and restores whatever spiritual needs we may have.

Stand upon God’s promise today! His Word declares that ‘The Lord is Your Keeper/ Your Provider/ Your Peace/ Your Healer.’ Don’t ever allow the enemy to tell you otherwise.

0
Christian Media, Christian Radio, Christianity, Devotional, Faith

Don’t be distracted

Posted on by David L'Herroux

Some time ago, I felt God give me a very clear warning to be on my guard against ‘distraction’. When you are working toward a God-given vision, distractions will come, and not every distraction immediately looks ‘wrong’.  Sometimes a distraction can come in the form of a compliment (which massages our ego) or in the form of an interesting invitation. And sometimes it comes (more obviously) in the form of a fiery dart.

In the book of Nehemiah, we are given some very clear principles on how to avoid distraction. In chapter 6, Nehemiah was busy rebuilding the temple wall. He had a clear vision and mandate from God, but Scripture tells us that Nehemiah’s enemies tried several times to distract him from finishing the wall. And they used many different tactics. There is much to learn from this story.

Invitation

When Nehemiah’s enemies, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem discovered that Nehemiah had nearly finished the wall, they issued him an invitation. We do not know how the invitation was sent, but we do know they requested to meet with Nehemiah in the plain of Ono. As leaders, sometimes we are sent flattering invitations, and to avoid embarrassment, we can say yes to things which distract us from the calling God has given us. But Nehemiah was focused on the job he was meant to do, and he had a sense that these people were planning to do him harm, so he turned down the offer.

Insinuation

Nehemiah’s enemies were not going to take no for an answer. Scripture tells us they continued to try and distract him, and in fact, they sent him an invitation four times. When this failed, they tried a new strategy – insinuation.  They told Nehemiah that they had ‘heard a rumour’ that he was planning to build a new kingdom and make himself the king. Nehemiah had the strength to simply say ‘There is no truth in your story’, and once again, he declined their invitation to meet and discuss it. This obvious distraction only strengthened Nehemiah’s resolve, and he became even more determined to finish the project on time.

Intimidation

When insinuation didn’t work, Nehemiah’s enemies tried to intimidate him. Nehemiah was warned that he should lock himself in the temple as his enemies were going to kill him that night, but Nehemiah knew he could not run from danger, and he also knew that if he went into the temple (a place reserved for the priests), he would be violating God’s law. Through it all, Nehemiah remained intentional and focused on his goal to get the wall built.  Scripture tells us that the wall was completed in just 52 days, and his enemies realised the work was done ‘with the help of God.’

If you are a leader, can I encourage you to be aware of distractions? I believe the enemy is trying to draw leaders into distraction and to divert them far away from the vision God has given them. The enemy can do this through flattery as well as by sending people to attack our character or intimidate us. By staying intentional in all we do, and by focusing on the plan and the promise, we can see things through to completion.

Can I encourage you today to remain focused on the plan and the vision God has given you, and like Nehemiah, to not be led astray by distractions.

IMG_4483

5
Christianity

Watch your words…

Posted on by David L'Herroux

When I was a child on my first day at a new school, a teacher asked the class what we wanted to do when we grew up. When it was my turn, I told her I wanted to be a surgeon, and she laughed. She said ‘Do you realise David, that is a lot of studying? I can’t see you doing it. I can see you emptying bins.’

For many years, those words stayed with me and sometimes informed the decisions I made. Was there any point in trying if I wasn’t capable of achieving much? However, when I rededicated my life to the Lord when I was 18, everything changed! I discovered what God thought about me, and I discovered that His Word could delete the past and delete all the harmful words that had impacted my life. Although I had no educational qualifications, the Word of God showed me that man’s labels do not matter. The only labels I should be concerned with are God’s labels!

Over the years, I have discovered that while God’s words are the most important, the words we use and what we choose to believe as a result can also have an impact on our lives. Proverbs 23:7 says ‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he’, and I believe it’s important to be aware of the reality of our words and our thoughts.

Our thoughts will affect what we say and our words will affect who we are. Proverbs 18:21 says: ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’, and so we should never underestimate the power of our thoughts and our words to shape destinies and our own future. Words can kill marriages and relationships and destroy churches and ministries. But words can also bring life, hope, healing, and reconciliation.

In a world which seems to be more divided than ever before (especially on social media), we need peacemakers and reconcilers, believers who will use their words to reflect the life and peace that is found through Jesus. Luke 6:45 says: ‘A good man produces good deeds from a good heart. And an evil man produces evil deeds from his hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.’

I want my heart to be full of God’s Word, full of praise to Him, for what is in my heart will flow out into my words and then out into my actions.

Can I challenge you today? What are you thinking about? What are you saying? What are you believing? Are they words of life and hope that reflect what God says about you and the situations you are facing? Or are they words of death and despondency?

As a young man, another person’s negative words could have shaped my whole life, but I am thankful for the revelation of God’s Word which showed me the truth.

5
Christianity

What is your purpose?

Posted on by David L'Herroux

Sometimes, if I ever drive past a cemetery, I don’t think about the people who are buried there but about the purpose buried there. How many songs went unsung? How many poems and stories went unwritten? The truth is, many people leave this world not knowing or realising their purpose. And today, many more are also living without knowing or realising their purpose. Many people simply do not know that God breathes purpose into every living thing, and He has also breathed purpose into you and me.

For me personally, I discovered my purpose when I rededicated my life to God. I did not yet know what God’s plans were for my life, but I knew I had a purpose. It took me many years to discover God’s plan, but because I knew He had a purpose for me, I was just as content back then being a janitor as I am today being a CEO.

So, how do you find your purpose?

Don’t confuse plans with purpose

The definition of purpose is, the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

The definition of plan is a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something. An intention or decision about what one is going to do.

We all have plans for our lives. Someday I will do this or someday I will do that. That is not your purpose; those are your plans. And all our plans are meaningless if we do not understand our purpose. God first puts a sense of purpose into our heart. We might not know what the plan is, but He will use our lives, our natural gifts, and our sense of purpose to help move us into His plan.

If we knew the plan in advance, we might run away

In the Bible, God gave Joseph a clear purpose. Joseph knew through dreams that he was to be a leader. He did not know that to get to that point, he would face rape allegations, prison and isolation. If God had revealed the plan up front, he might have run in the opposite direction. But through all of those trials, God was shaping Joseph, making him ready for the plan of leadership

It’s not about you

When God started to reveal His plan for my life, I began to realise His plan was not about me at all. It was about Him using me to reach others. God wanted to take my passion, my gift, my sense of purpose and use them all to bring about His plan in my life and also help to release that in others’ lives. So many Biblical characters were used by God to bring about change for others. Mary was handpicked to deliver a messiah who would save the world. Paul was given the task of leaving everything behind in order to carry the message of salvation all across the Middle East. They were not ‘special’ people. They simply knew they had a purpose, and they allowed God to use them (and their gifts) to bring about His plan.

Can I encourage you today that you have a purpose. Everything God creates has a purpose, and we each have a job to do. If you do not feel that you do, ask God to plant His sense of purpose into your life. He might not show you what is ahead, but when you know deep down that you have a heavenly purpose, everything in your life will change.

4
Christian Media, Christianity, Devotional, Evangelism, Faith

Thank you!

Posted on by David L'Herroux

On UCB 1 and UCB 2 last week, it was our National Appeal, and if you were involved in some way, I want to thank you for your support.

The theme of the appeal, ‘Bring 4:35 alive’, was based on John 4:35 where Jesus says to the disciples ‘It’s still four months until harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’

I have been thinking about and studying this verse for a long time, and I get so much from it. It reminds us to stop looking around at the problems we face and all the uncertainties in the world. It tells us instead to look up… to be ready… to reap the harvest. The time is now. People are ready to hear the incredible life-changing message of Jesus. And at UCB, we believe that Christian media can be an important part of reaching people, and that by working together, we can reach the UK with the Gospel in an unprecedented way.

The appeal last week was remarkable, and as I walked around UCB overhearing conversations on phone lines or between staff members, I could feel faith rising in all of our hearts. There was an air of excitement and expectancy, and as we exceeded our original target on day 2 of the appeal, we were overwhelmed at God’s goodness and provision. By the end of the appeal, thanks to your support, more than £220,000 was raised to help UCB’s mission and ministry.

As we closed the phone lines on Friday night, our hearts were full of joy, not just due to the funds that were raised, but because of the feeling that God had heard our prayers and opened the windows of heaven.

So, if you were part of UCB’s appeal, in giving or in prayer, then thank you. We still have a long way to go, but these 3 days reminded us that we have a God who hears us when we pray. We do not always get our breakthrough immediately, but when we begin to see God move in our circumstances, it is unmistakeable.

Can I encourage you? If you are waiting for a breakthrough in your own circumstances, keep praying, keep believing, keep holding on to God’s Word. We serve a God who hears us when we pray.

Thank you again for all your support.

P.S. If you would like to support UCB’s appeal, you can still do so by clicking here.

thank you

0
Christian Media, Christian Radio, Christianity, Devotional

2017 – the year of ‘the SUDDENLY’!

Posted on by David L'Herroux

First, let me wish you a Happy New Year! For many, 2016 will be remembered as the year of surprises! We had Brexit, a new Prime Minister, Theresa May, a new President elect in Donald Trump, and we also saw many acts of terror and a growing refugee crisis. For UCB, it was a year of distractions on many fronts, but I sense that as we enter 2017, it will be a year of God’s ‘suddenly moments’.

The verses which keep coming to me are…

‘You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance’ (Psalm 65:11).

‘I declared the former things long ago and they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass’ (Isaiah 48:3).

However, as we each begin this new year, I believe we need to be expectant and ask ourselves what we are hoping for. What are we waiting for?

Much of life is waiting for something to happen. Minutes turn into hours, hours into days, days into months, and months into years. Sometimes it feels as though the clock on our lives is standing still and we are waiting for whatever will come next. If you are in that place at the moment, waiting to see a word fulfilled or for God to move in your circumstances, you are not alone. It can feel as though things will never change, but the Word of God is full of people who had ‘suddenly’ experiences. Here are just a few examples:

  • Abraham was a very old man when he was ‘suddenly’ told that he would be given a much-longed-for son.
  • Joseph went from being in jail to standing before Pharaoh. One minute, no one would listen to him. The next minute, the most powerful man in the country was asking his opinion.
  • Moses had raised a family and was content to stay hidden in the desert when God ‘suddenly’ called him to the greatest of adventures.
  • Elizabeth and Zacharias! The Bible says they were well advanced in years and she was barren when ‘suddenly’ an angel appeared and announced that they would have a son – John the Baptist.

God has been in the ‘suddenly business’ for years.

So, you might be asking, what about my ‘suddenly moment’?

Maybe you know and believe that God can do anything, anytime, anywhere and that there are no limitations to God’s ability, but you’re frustrated as to why it’s not happening now? We may become frustrated in the waiting, but God’s timing is perfect. He is never too late, and certainly never too early, but it surely comes! And I know that His timing is much better than mine!

How to pray as we wait:

Be specific

I really believe God wants us to be specific as we pray. Sometimes we can feel as though we don’t need to tell Him the detail, but in any relationship, you share the detail, your thoughts, your hopes. It is the same with God – when we pray, let’s be specific about what we see and about what we are asking God to do.

Dream big!

We need to be specific when we pray, but we also need to be open to God doing something different. It can be easy to use our prayer to ‘shape’ what we want God to do rather than be open to whatever it is He wants to give us.

The shape, size, colour, and features of our destination may not be in the package that we have been describing to God… or to ourselves! I often wonder if we have spent so much time focused on ‘telling God what to do’ that we might have missed a ‘suddenly moment’ or something unusual He wanted to bless us with. God’s answers don’t always come in the way we expect, and it can be easy to overlook His blessings because the answer (he, she or it) did not fit into our formula. It is something to ponder!

Trust His timing

Allow God to set the timeline. And instead of clock-watching, let’s count every sorrow, every joy, every longing, every heartache as a precious gift that God is allowing to come our way to prepare us for the joy He passionately wants to share with us. Be confident that He does have a ‘suddenly’ for you too! The question is whether or not you will be ready to see and experience it.

For UCB, I believe our ‘suddenly’ moment is rooted in a Word I felt God gave us last year, which I wrote about in a blog post, Look to the future – what do you see? 

I continue to wait, believe, and pray expectantly for a great move of God which will change the landscape of the world!

Therefore as we launch into this new year, let’s not forget the words of Jesus to His disciples (John 4:35): ‘Do you not say, “There are yet four months, then comes the harvest”?  Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.’

Time is of the essence – can you join me in believing that 2017 will be the year of ‘the suddenly’?

dlh-blog-jan-17

4
Christianity

In a world of change – trust God

Posted on by David L'Herroux

We are in a season of political change. We saw the UK begin to change in May with the surprising results of the EU Referendum, and we saw this shift again recently when Donald Trump was voted in as President-elect of the United States. In France, we are seeing political change too, as my home country prepares for its own presidential elections next year.

I am pleased that we live in a democracy and that we each have the ability (and responsibility) to vote, but now we need to consider how we should respond to the outcome of the decisions made. How can we ensure unity in the church and keep positive relationships when our opinions can be so different? The same applies to the decisions we’re confronted with on a daily basis.

Choose who you will serve

We must remember firstly who we serve. In Joshua 24:15, Joshua commanded the people to ‘Choose you this day who you will serve.’ He told the people that the choice was up to them; it was their decision, but he ended by saying ‘As for ME and MY house, we will serve the Lord.’ Although as believers we ultimately serve the Lord, He gives us the choice and allows us to decide who we are going to serve. I believe this is a very intentional verse. It encourages us to make our choice and then have the courage and commitment to stand by what we believe.

Agree to disagree

In life we are confronted by choices on a daily basis, and the choices that we make today will affect our tomorrow.

There will always be disagreements among friends and family over the choices we make. But I believe some of these disagreements could be avoided if we tried to listen more. Too often in discussion, we are set on persuading the other person to see things as we see them, and we do not stop to listen. If we don’t listen, we won’t hear others’ views. And who knows, perhaps the opposite side might have a good point to make? If we all agreed on everything, it would be a very boring world. It is fine to say ‘I don’t see it, I don’t understand it, but I respect how you feel.’ For me, my relationships with family and friends are more precious than my argument.

Who should have the final word?

We all like to have the final word, but the final Word comes from God.

The Bible is God’s divine instruction manual, and it tells us how to live our lives according to God’s will. As I have said before, if we bought a new phone or gadget, we would always read the instruction manual so that we knew how to operate this new gift in the best possible way. The same is true of our lives and God’s Word – it tells us all we need to know about how to live a life aligned with God’s plan.

Even if we make wrong choices in life and create a mess through those choices, our failures are not fatal – provided we are willing to acknowledge them. God will always be there to help us.

Whatever situation you find yourself in today, and however you are feeling – whether it is fear or excitement – it is important to remember that God has a plan: ‘A plan to prosper you, not to harm you, a plan to give you hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29:11).

1
Christian Media, Christianity, Devotional, Healing, Hope

Failure is not the end…

Posted on by David L'Herroux

On Saturday, I spoke at a We are Men event on the subject of ‘Accountability’. The danger of speaking on a topic like this is that it can sound like a ‘telling off’, but I wanted to make sure that the men who attended felt encouraged and understood what the real meaning of accountability is. Accountability is based in relationship and ensures that as leaders and believers, we do what we say we will do.

We live in an age where the media frequently reports leadership scandals, from extra marital affairs to embezzlement and abuse. As Christians surrounded by temptations and lies from the enemy, we need accountability in our lives. We need people and processes around us to help us have integrity.

How can we be accountable? Is there a way forward for people who get it wrong?

We are servants

Sometimes in churches (or in any organisation), there can be a culture at the top where the person in charge acts as though they are ‘lord and master’. As leaders, we must always remember that we are primarily servants. We are there to serve the vision of the organisation we work for. Our leadership style needs to be based on the life of Jesus as it is written in God’s Word, not on a version we have created for ourselves.

We need relationships

To be truly accountable, it is good to have people in our lives who can be direct and honest with us at any time. Although I have lived in the UK for many years, I am not a native English speaker, and sometimes friends will correct a word I have used in the wrong way. I would always prefer that people gave me the right word than laugh at my use of the wrong one. It is the same with accountability: we need people who will gently and lovingly speak correction when it is needed. If this correction comes from a person who is trusted and who has our best interests at heart, they will never use this to hurt us; they will say these things in order to help and restore us.

Processes are important

In every leadership position, it is important to have processes in place to prevent abuse of systems. For example, at UCB, we have procedures in place to help keep us financially accountable. If we have to buy expensive items (such as new equipment), the forms will need more than just one signature. It doesn’t mean that we don’t trust our team, but it means that important financial decisions are not in the hands of just one person. That helps to keep us accountable to each other and to the people who support the ministry.

We can all fail

As the saying goes, no one plans to fail, but some can fail to plan. To me, this means that we must plan ahead and be aware of our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. We must never assume that we are above temptation or incapable of failing. By putting true accountability, processes, and relationships in our lives, we are reducing our capacity for failing. We spend a great deal of time mopping up messes when it would be much better to spend time preventing spills in the first place.

However, what if you (or someone you know) has failed? Is there a way to be restored?

In the Bible, we have many examples of leaders who have failed, but the two examples of David and Saul stand out to me because of their different responses. When Saul was confronted by the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 13 about his disobedience before God, Saul’s response was to blame others and make excuses. He was not able to take responsibility for his actions.

In 2 Samuel 12, when Nathan confronted David over his affair with Bathsheba, David immediately said ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’

If you have messed up, then it is important to find someone you trust who can help to restore you and help to make you accountable. This process may mean that you have to confess to others. There may be legal repercussions. You may even need to resign from your position. But in the process of vulnerability and humility, God’s power is still at work.

I have seen friends and key leaders who have fallen and are later restored in a wonderful way with their marriages and lives intact. Your response in the early days is important. Will you deny or seek to blame others? Or will you be vulnerable and use it as a time to get right with God?

Proverbs 24:16 says: ‘for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.’

This is true for anyone who stumbles, whether they are a leader or not. God is so good; He is a God of restitution, of healing and restoration. God’s heart is for everyone to be restored and in a right relationship with Him.

Even if you have messed up, because of God’s goodness, there is still hope.

david-blog_failure

1