What do I tell my child when a church leader falls?

It can be very difficult when a church leader falls. What l mean is when they have made a mistake and it becomes public.

 We all sin and make mistakes and this is why we have the provision of 1 John 1: 9, which says:  If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

This scripture is evidence that the Lord is aware that we may make mistakes and sin and hence this provision.

 But he/she is a leader? They should know better?

 Unfortunately good men and women do wrong things sometimes as they are also flesh and blood just like everyone else however the impact of what they do can  have more significance because of their position.


So what do l tell my child?


The amount of information you tell your child depends on their age and level  of maturity in the Lord. But in summary, you want to make sure of the  following:


They continue to Love the Lord passionately and serve Him


And


They don’t think this is a licence to do the same thing.


Thank God that there is nothing new under the sun. Tell them how David loved  the Lord, a man after Gods own heart but sinned against the Lord. Can you  imagine if David was alive today and did what he did then?


Tell them that David was forgiven, but he paid a very heavy price for what he  did. This is a brief account.

 2 Samuel 12:9
 Wherefore hast thou despised the  commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the
Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 

  10Now therefore the sword shall  never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the
wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 

  11Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I  will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy  wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with  thy wives in the sight of this sun.


 12For thou didst it secretly: but I  will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.


 13And David said unto Nathan, I  have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 

  14Howbeit, because by this deed  thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.


Part of the fulfilment and the heavy price that David paid can be found in the following scriptures: 2 Samuel 13, (Absalom plotted and killed his  brother Amnon,  15, 2 Samuel 16: (Absalom went in unto his father’s  concubines in the sight of all Israel.)


David was forgiven, but he did pay a very heavy price for what he did. Tell  your child, depending on how old they are that what happened to Leader D, is not  a licence to do they same or else they may pay the same price for what they have
done. This should instil the fear of the Lord in them. Tell them that there is  no respect of persons with God (Romans 2: 11, For there is no respect of  persons with God.)

 Secondly tell them, that the only person that laid down His life for them is  our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ and He should be their example. Let them know  that Jesus Christ should be their example and it is  unto Him we all live  too. Tell them that in spite of whatever goes on, they can always live above  reproach and honour the Lord in all things. And also let them know that heaven and hell are very real places.


Its is also good to tell them that they need to forgive the person as the  Lord forgives when we repent and so should we. Explain to them that he who gives  mercy will reap mercy (Galatians 6: 7).


Above all pray that the Lord will protect your Childs heart and the Lord give you wisdom to train them up in His ways.


Bisi Oladipupo