Sometimes I sit there listening while my pastor friend tells what’s happening in his personal life and/or church. And, once in a while all the alarms go off. I realize he is in a dangerous place in his ministry.
If I sense a leading from the Holy Spirit or if he and I already have a close enough relationship, I’ll interrupt him.
“Bob, can we pause here a moment? I need to point something out to you.”
“My friend, you are exposed. You are a sitting duck. Life has drawn a target on your back. Satan has you in his cross-hairs.”
“You’d better do something big in a hurry or you’re going to get in bad trouble.”
He sits there stunned, without a clue.
“What do you mean? I’m doing everything I know to work my way through this.”
I say, “I’m not talking about what you are going through. I’m talking about where you are personally at this moment. You are in a vulnerable spot and you need to move before something bad happens.”
Older, veteran pastors have learned the hard way to tread softly through this dark valley they have entered. They have seen the carcasses of their peers strewn about, brought down by ego or depression or temptation or carelessness.
It’s the young minister who is more likely to try to brave it out alone. It’s the young pastor who is more prone to end up a victim instead of a victor.
Here are 10 danger zones for the pastor to watch out for.
On the highway, signs alert motorists to drive carefully, to slow down, to watch for obstructions.