personal issues
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Leader 1: personal issues
The first ministry leader was a lady who was facing deep financial problems. To encourage her, I dedicated an hour of my time and listened to her as she poured her heart out. I identified biblical scriptures and we read them together. We drew from the lessons of 2 Corinthians 4:8, 16, which admonishes us not to lose heart in the face of difficulties since hardships help to renew our inner man. We also read from the book of Philippians 4:6-7 that asks us not to be anxious about anything but to tell God our concerns through prayer and He will grant us utmost peace (1). This bible verse also asks us to learn to count our blessings and give thanks even during times of difficulties. Based on this, we prayed together and gave thanks to God for her life while asking Him to intervene and help the lady out of her current predicament. Another scripture that I used to encourage her was Psalms 23:1, 4, which tells us that Lord is our shepherd and will not let us down but will guide us through the most difficult moments (1). Besides listening to her and praying with her, I gave her some financial assistance and promised to follow up with our church’s welfare committee o see how best we can help her.
Leader 2: falsely accused
The second ministry leader was a pastor who had been maliciously accused of some ills. The rumors were peddled by some members of the congregation. He was distraught by the rumors. I spent a considerable amount of time with him during which he denied the substance of the rumors. We identified several scriptures and shared them together. In Matthew 12:36, we learnt that God will hold everyone accountable for his words hence I advised him to leave judgment to God and hold no bitterness towards his accusers. Ephesians 4:29 taught us to only speak words that edify others and hence we should not talk ill about the gossipers. James 3:1-2 says that the standard for teachers such as my pastor colleague is even higher and we are called to refrain completely from unhelpful words and deeds. 1 peter 4:15 expressly forbids one to act as a busybody in other people’s affairs while Psalm 19:14s and Psalms 141:3 are prayers to God to empower one to speak words that are acceptable in God’s sight. Proverbs 20:19 asks us not to associate with gossipers while Psalms 101:5 says that God will destroy those who gossip about their neighbors (1). We agreed that these scriptures should form the basis of my colleague’s sermons in days to come to assist in getting his accusers from engaging in gossiping. I also mentioned the importance of effective communication between him and his flock as it can help prevent gossip.
Lessons learnt from these tow encounters are that one should approach the person seeking encouragement with honesty, remain respectful towards him or her, and maintain confidentiality. Additionally, one needs to adopt a non-judgmental attitude, listen a lot and refrain from speaking unless necessary, offer hope, be trustworthy, be an example of Christian living, show concern and provide material and financial assistance where possible. The encounters also taught me the importance of prayer and supplication and thanksgiving when faced with difficulties.
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