Disqualified

The big news in Toronto these days is that our mayor has been removed from office due to a conflict of interest. Everyone has an opinion, and nobody really knows what’s going to happen in the coming weeks.

I don’t really have a lot to say about the politics. I have, however, started a ritual, and it seems to be one I’m using more than I’d like. I used it again yesterday. Here it is:

Whenever someone is removed from leadership due to some issue of character, I remind myself that it could happen to me. I could be disqualified.

Sound morose? Maybe, but it’s true, and it does me good to be reminded.

I learned this years ago from Gordon MacDonald who, after his own moral failure, taught that one of the most dangerous lies any one of us could believe is “It could never happen to me.”

I was reminded of this just a couple of weeks ago when I heard Charles Price say that just as God rejected Saul from being king, he could reject any of us from being in ministry tomorrow.

I’m reminded of this constantly as I find myself wanting to excuse or hide sin, or even worse, to think that I’m doing really well (which is usually followed by falling flat on my face).

Any secrets? Any sense of invulnerability? Today is a good day to deal with either of those. There’s grace to deal with both if we do so. There’s only disaster ahead if we don’t.