Church leaders are not perfect people. Despite aiming to walk in step with the Spirit, they make mistakes. They treat others poorly, both intentionally and unintentionally. They justify their pride and their selfishness. They do not live up to their own standards.
The mistakes leaders make—willful or accidental—can haunt them or make them feel like they are not worthy of forgiveness. They can beat themselves up over their sins and end up spiraling deeper down the hole of self-sabotage.
The wonderful spiritual reality, however, is that we have already been forgiven by God. With the power of God’s forgiveness, we can forgive ourselves. Choosing forgiveness is one of the most important things church leaders can do for their spiritual well-being.
Paul encouraged the church in Corinth, saying,
1. Pray for discernment.
When you get the sense that there are issues within your church body, the first step is always prayer. Ask God for two things: clarity and wisdom. Sometimes God may direct you to root out something in your own heart rather than addressing an external issue. Or it is possible that you could be misunderstanding a situation.
If you discern that this is not an issue of misperception or an area where God is calling you to personal repentance, talk to someone in a position of leadership. Be forthright with your concerns, and ask them to pray with you for the Lord’s guidance.
2. Put an end to all gossip in your presence.
Gossip erodes community, but we are still too comfortable with it. Gossip is the relay of rumors, speculation, or private information that is not yours to share. If you want to turn a culture around, rid yourself of all unhelpful chitchat. If others want to gossip or speculate, kindly but firmly refuse, redirect, or remove yourself from the conversation.
Gossip not only crumbles a community, it also causes you stress. Avoid the temptation to gossip to gain your joy back. It never works. It contributes to the unhealthy culture.
3. Focus on your circle of influence.
We all have more power and influence than we realize. We can miss this reality because it’s easy to focus on areas of concern outside of our control. When we are worried about what we are unable to change, we may feel helpless.
The truth is that we all have enormous influence to touch and change the lives of the people around us in our church body. When we model Christlike values to the individuals in our church community, it creates a ripple effect. Good culture is built over time on the consistent actions of individuals who call the church home. Keep building relationships to demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit and impact the culture.
Changing a culture.
You can keep impacting your church culture for the better. You can make a difference through prayer, through a rejection of gossip, and through walking in step with the Spirit and modeling that for others.
