Worship, War, and Wisdom: Church Planting Lessons From Davidનમૂનો

The quandary of power is that the threat of losing it makes us believe that we cannot disclose the weakness that threatens it. In recent years, the trend has been to double down, regardless of how ridiculous or egregious the offense is. Many seem to believe that if you never take the blame and never apologize, it will be as if it never happened. Not only is this untrue, but it’s also not the way of the cross, and ultimately pride comes before the fall.

When we establish a church, we build an organization. In time, effective programs and people’s livelihoods depend on us. Many in our congregation and community view us with appreciation and esteem. When we experience brokenness but don’t surrender it to the Lord, it can turn into resentment and a sense of entitlement to continue in destructive ways. It can become tempting to turn a blind eye to our own sin. But the longer we resist a posture of repentance, the greater the consequences become.

David learned to search his heart and displayed a sensitive conscience through much of his life. He surrendered to the Lord over and over. He developed a posture of repentance. Repentance should not only be a one-time experience that happens at salvation. It’s a spiritual discipline that can be cultivated in our lives. This is not the same as walking in guilt and shame. Rather, it allows us to embrace the freedom that comes from regularly cleaning out the cobwebs of our conscience.