What's below your surface?

This weekend's news of Rev. Ted Haggard's admission of immorral sexual failure has disappointed me and most of the evangelical and Christian world. He has been an individual that many of us have looked to for leadership and guidance. We must pray for him and his family, for healing and restoration to take place in his life. We must be careful not to be too quick to judge him. This weekend I found myself looking for answers . . . asking the questions why? and how?

I think the answer lies deep below the surface of our Christian life. I think our Christian world view is distorted. We look at success in ministry and Christian life as having more and being bigger. Rev. Haggard appeared to be at the top from all outward appearances. He was the leader of the National Association of Evangelical and pastor of a 14,000 member church. He has written dozens of books and many more articles. But he failed. His failure was not spontaneous. It was a process that occurred over time, much like David's sin of adultery and murder in the book 2 Samuel.

Peter Scazzero writes in his book, The Emotionally Healthy Church that "most leaders shipwreck or live inconsistent lives because of forces and motivation beneath the surface of their lives, which they have never even considered." It was not what was seen on the surface, it was what was unseen under the surface that sank the Titanic. Only about 10% of an iceberg is seen. Ninety percent of an iceberg is unseen under water.

We must look deep below the surface of our lives. We must pay close attention to that which no one else can see in our lives. There is a link between emotional health and spiritual maturity. The prophet, Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what he deserves.” Scazzero points out that it is necessary to ask the hard questions. For example, “Why am I feeling this way?” or “What motivations are driving me in this situation or circumstance?”

In his book, Scazzero examines what it means to be emotionally healthy and spiritually mature. There are far too many Bible believers who have a great deal of knowledge about Scripture, but little idea how Scripture should be applied to themselves as an emotional being. Scazzero reveals six principles that can lead an individual to emotional maturity. These practices include (1) looking below the surface of our life, (2) coming to grips with the scars from our past, (3) being honest and vulnerable about our brokenness, (4) discovering and accepting our own giftedness and limits, (5) embracing our pain and loss, and (6) living an incarnational ministry as did Jesus.

There are many examples from the Scriptures of individuals who were less than perfect. Among them were Moses, David, John Mark, Timothy, Hosea, Amos, Jacob, Naomi, Paul, Jonah, Gideon, Thomas, Jeremiah, Elijah, John the Baptist, Martha, Noah, Solomon, Abraham, and Peter. It's time for each one of us to look deeply into our own lives and become openly transparent and authentic with ourself and with God. It is not what I appear to be outwardly to others that really matters. It is who I really am underneath the surface that matters most. Our lives must be transformed.

Rom 12:2 NIV
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.