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Presented by Lisa Bishop
My intent in our conversation is not to point out the failings of the Church. I love the Church. There is way too much division, backbiting, finger pointing, and blame between believers these days. Rather, my motive is to point our attention to the fact that you and I can be fooled into believing we are beyond temptation and think, “Oh that would never be me.” But when you are not careful and alert, this very thought can lead to being lured into ungodly patterns and actions which have a devastating impact on your life, the lives of others, your witness, and your leadership. In the lines of the well-known worship song, we are all “prone to wander.”
You may be in a place where your relationship with God is thriving, and those you lead are reaping the fruit of your faith being lived out to the fullest. You may find yourself skating on the edge of making ungodly choices. Perhaps you have fallen hook line and sinker into sin, and you don’t know how to get out. I pray this conversation wakes you up, strengthens you, encourages you, and emboldens you to center or recenter your mind, heart, and soul on Jesus.
In 1 Peter 5:8-9a, the apostle warns, Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
The Greek word for devour means to destroy or to swallow. The devil wants to shake your faith and make you an ineffective follower and witness of Christ, which is why it is important to be sober and vigilant. The term sober means “free from intoxicating influences.” It means not allowing yourself to be influenced by anything that leads you away from God’s truth and sound judgment.
We are all prone to intoxication! If you think you’re not, that may be a sign you are.
As Proverbs 16:18 says, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. There is pride in thinking you are not prone to be sucked in by sin. And intoxicating influence comes in many forms.
From a harmless lunch with a coworker that leads to an unhealthy emotional connection, to outbursts of anger that give you a false sense of control; the temptation for power and prestige; fudging the numbers on that report to make yourself look good; dabbling with pornography because you deceive yourself into thinking “It’s not hurting anyone.”
These are not words of condemnation but rather encouragement for you and me to remain vigilant. To be vigilant means “to keep careful watch for possible danger or difficulties.” Vigilance is not passive; it requires action. When you are vigilant, you actively pay attention to what is vying for your affection and impacting your heart and mind. Even those who truly love God are not exempt from the enticing nature of sin.
King David, well known as a man after God’s own heart, demonstrates the rise and fall of leadership. He was a man after God’s heart, but David did not guard his own heart when he fell down the slippery slope of temptation. When we read the account of his adultery with Bathsheba, we see distinct opportunities where David, a married man and a king, could have turned away from the intoxicating influence of his flesh. When he stood on his rooftop and saw Bathsheba bathing David could have made the choice to high tail it out of there, but he chose to look and linger. He didn’t take the way out of sin’s enticement, and it led to him sleeping with another man’s wife, who became pregnant. If you know David’s story, this sin led to more sin. In an attempt to cover up the affair, David orders Bethsheba’s husband killed. It sounds crazy that gazing at a beautiful woman led to murder, but sin does that. When we don’t resist temptation and tiptoe close to it, all of a sudden we can find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?” We rarely if ever think we could be susceptible to such a great transgression. As we see from David’s life, sin does not stay contained; our sin impacts others.
First Corinthians 10:13 says this, No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Is there an area of your life where you are skating on sin’s thin ice? Are you being enticed to indulge in the craving of the flesh and tempted to dip your toe into sin? Instead of seeing how close you can get to the line, run in the other direction. Take the way out before you are swallowed up.
Living as a faithful follower of Jesus has its challenges but you can choose to abstain from practices that lead to sin. We need to do our part to live above reproach, and if you are a leader, you have an even higher calling. Fellow Christians will look to you as a model of living a faithful life for Jesus. And as a leader in the workplace, who you are and how you lead matters. Your life reflects your faith and is meant to give glory to Christ.
That does not mean perfection. None of us are perfect. But it does mean living a credible life before others. When we do, we reap the benefits of living life to the fullest in Jesus, and we give others hope that points to him.
I want to focus on three ways to live alert and sober and position yourself to lead in a way that honors The Lord.
- Connection
- Confession
- Community
Let’s start with connection. Specifically, your connection with God. I know investing time in your relationship with God seems obvious. Yet, time and time again I talk with people who spend little to no time intentionally connecting with him. Their relationship with God is on the fly or running on fumes.
It is very easy to find ourselves so busy or distracted that we neglect this most important relationship in our lives. As a follower of Christ, it is imperative that we intentionally embark on a lifelong journey of inner transformation, and life-altering transformation is only possible through a personal and interactive relationship with your heavenly Father. As a leader, this inner journey of transformation is an important prerequisite, because leadership is first an inside job.
Your connection with God cultivates your character. There is no shortcut. Regularly spending time meditating on his Word and delighting in his presence are key practices of your inner renewal. There is power just when you open the Bible and read it! Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
In Psalm 119:9-11(AMP) the Psalmist speaks of the power of God’s holy Word when he prays,
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to Your precepts]. With all my heart I have sought You, [inquiring of You and longing for You]; Do not let me wander from Your commandments [neither through ignorance nor by willful disobedience]. Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, that I may not sin against You.
Your journey of being transformed by Jesus doesn’t stop at the Word. Solitude is also a foundational discipline of spiritual life. It involves setting time aside to give God your full and undivided attention. Withdrawing from the many demands and distractions in your life, even the good ones, to give God complete access to your heart, mind, and soul. In solitude and silence, you create space to listen to and hear God’s voice.
Theologian Henri Nouwen says. “Solitude is the furnace of transformation.[1]”
The book of Matthew recounts Jesus being led into his own furnace of solitude. When he is in the wilderness for 40 days, the devil attempts to make Jesus fall into the temptations of the world. But Jesus’s response declares his connection and devotion to the Father when he says, It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’ (Matthew 4:10).
When you become too busy to bring God into every corner of your life and leadership, you are doomed to fall prey to a host of temptations. When you spend time with the Lord and encounter his presence regularly, you are strengthened, and you increase your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. His power transforms you. Intimacy with God is truly the sweetest, most life-giving, loving place to be.So, the first way to strengthen your faith life is through connection with God. The second way is through confession.
I think confession and repentance get a bad rap. We tend to look at them as have to’s rather than get to’s. We are commanded to confess our sins. But we are not meant to feel condemnation. Instead, confession is a means of experiencing the ongoing freedom that Christ died to give you. True confession and repentance lead to a clear conscience with God.
In Psalm 32:3-5 we hear King David’s confession,When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Let me say this, if you have repented of sin and trusted in Christ as Lord and Savior, God has declared you righteous before him based on Christ’s righteousness. Your sins past, present, and future are forgiven. At the same time, living a life of confession and repentance is ongoing for Christians.
Psalm 139:23-24 is a prayer I regularly pray. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
In my morning quiet time I journal and confess any thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes of heart that grieve God. Jealousy, self-righteousness, pride, greed, ill feelings towards others. I don’t want sin to master me, so I bring my sins before the Master. I implore you to do the same. Confession breeds connection with God.
The third way to build and guard your faith is through community. You were not created to do life in isolation. Isolation is not good for your soul and is a very dangerous place where the enemy can corner you and render you defenseless. As followers of Jesus, we need one another. To grow in spiritual maturity, you need to engage in Christ-centered community with men and women who are pursuing maturity in Christ and walking in obedience to him. If you are not part of a local Bible believing and preaching church, find one. Get connected to a small group. Invest time in building deep relationships.
Hebrews 3:13, …Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Who are you inviting to speak into your life? If you do not have a confidant, start praying for God to reveal a faithful follower of Jesus to walk alongside you. Find someone you can “tell on yourself to.” Meaning, you hold nothing back and are dead honest about your struggles. My good friend Shelly is that person for me. We speak truth into one another’s life, pray for one another, remind each other of the goodness of God, and encourage one another in our faith. Who is a friend that fans the flames of your faith? I want to encourage you in the three C’s: connection, confession, and community. Jesus came to give you life to the fullest in him. I pray that your life and leadership are an overflow of that fullness and of your inner transformation in Christ.
[1] Nouwen, H. J. M. (2003). The Way of the Heart. Ballantine Books.