Feeling above the law

Sometimes, when Rachel and I are staying in France, we take our car to go to Paris. There, usually stuck in traffic, we regularly see police cars fly by us at full speed, lights and sirens on, forcing their way through traffic, heading to some urgent business somewhere. 

Because this must have annoyed more than one of the common folk, like us, one day, some journalists from a national TV channel decided to follow several of these police cars, just to see what was so important, and where they were going… only to discover that most of the time, once they had passed the traffic jams, or red lights, they just turned off their sirens and continued on their way, quietly, to restaurants or coffee shops, sometimes going to their office, but almost never to a real emergency… Such an unfair use of their power and authority! They considered themselves as being above the law, instead of abiding by it. It is very frustrating for everyone who has ever been stuck in the endless traffic jams of the French capital. 

Since that report was aired, I believe that, as we let the police cars pass us, almost everyone in France thinks: “Are they doing it because of a real emergency or are they abusing their power?”

In our ministry, there is a very similar phenomenon that Rachel and I have repeatedly seen happen to pastors, and ministers, after years of leadership. How so?

As pastors, our daily responsibilities place us in positions of service but also of authority.  We are responsible for sharing the gospel to unbelievers, and we teach the word of God every weekend. We need to find new sermons every week, and spend hours seeking God for this.

We also take care of the believers attending our church in many different ways. Christians ask us to have an input on important subjects in their lives. We make tough decisions about the church’s finances, expanses, loans, buildings, staff, services, technical aspects, etc… again and again.

After some time spent doing this, a strange deviance can settle in if we aren’t careful.

Because we are the ones God chose to teach His laws to His people, because He equipped us to help His flock in important matters of all sorts, we become used to being the ones who have the solutions, or at least, are always capable of finding the proper ressources. 

Because we are anointed and blessed by the Holy Spirit in our gifts, and because we see blessings in people’s lives, unknowingly, we can begin to position ourselves above the laws we explain to others, as if we knew them so well that they do not apply to us anymore… 

I have called this phenomenon: “Feeling above the law”. Maybe some of you think that I am pushing the envelope too far… sadly, I am not. We have seen great men and women of God fall in this trap over and over again, and sometimes, I have even seen this same phenomenon take place in my heart.

Why is that ? Because, I simply forget that the rules also apply to me! The process may come on quickly, or take years to settle in, but it almost always becomes a very subtle temptation.

For myself, I have, at times, reached a place where I didn’t always need God to do what I had to do, because I knew I was proficient in my ministry. I would have never admitted it, nor said it, but it was a reality, and I could sometimes free myself of rules that I would teach others to follow. Others had to be careful but I didn’t have to anymore, because I knew better, and didn’t see the dangers for myself anymore… We all know perfectly well that when such a mindset sets in, it is only a matter of time before an accident happens.

Do you see this in your own heart ? 

Do you see areas in your life where you aren’t applying what you are asking others to follow anymore?

In what part of your ministry could you serve without depending on God’s daily help?

Anyone of us, at any time, with either months of service, or decades under our belt, can face the danger of misusing the authority we have received from God, that we are above it.
How can we protect ourselves from falling into such a dangerous trap? 

Here are some thoughts which we I believe can be helpful:

• Always spend time with your Saviour separately from the time you spend serving Him, including your prayer time, and the time you spend reading His scriptures. 
  Have a Bible that you read only for your private life, and another one, in a different version, that you only use for ministry. 
• At least once a week, have some time where you stay silent with Him, and allow God to speak into your! He will keep you depending on Him.
• Respect His Sabbath, rest and enjoy your family and friends.
• Give thanks and be grateful every chance you get, for the beauty of who He is and of what He has done. 
• Remind yourself daily of His mercies, and grace, without which we would not be able to live for Him, nor serve Him.

And next time a police car passes you at full speed, lights and sirens on, remember: There really might be an emergency somewhere?!

“So watch yourself! The person who thinks he can stand against sin had better watch that he does not fall into sin.”   1 Corinthians 10:12

Eric-Vincent Dufour