SPIRITUAL HEALTH & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS - Stress

SPIRITUAL HEALTH & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS: Stress.

In my last blog post I quoted from Glenn Bleakney’s article, “Three ways to discern God is moving you in a new direction,” I talked about anxiety and depression. Today I want to share with you on the subject of Stress.

Have you ever hit a wall, been stopped dead in your tracks by a disruption of your plans, experienced a depleting of your resources or a dissipation of a relationship. It may be God’s way of moving you in a new direction. It was in my case. Personally I experienced all three in succession in 2014.  Anxiety, depression and stress are no strangers during such a time.

I like to claim December 2014, my 37^th year in ministry as the 12^th month that became a month that redeemed the year as I experienced a release to freedom and a reversal of fortunes. (2 Kings 25: 27-30).

After spending 6 months in Edmonton operating a private counselling practice and accepting referrals from the Church we attended, we made a decision to return to Pastor’s Inn Ministries’ home base in Woodstock NB. PIM is a ministry that we have been officially operating since 2013. From there we set our sights on returning to our home province of Newfoundland to do ministry. In December plans were finalized and in January 2015 I started a part time position as an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) Counsellor which provided the income to support PIM and my schedule of three days on and four days off allowed me to do pulpit supply on Sundays and Christian Counselling on my off days, from an office provided by Mount Pearl Pentecostal Church.

Our Son Steven, Debbie and the grandchildren Lillian and Harrison welcomed us with open arms. We stayed with them until a furnished house became available to us in St. John’s. It was a great opportunity to respond to needs and also to reconnect with friends and family. Then we were faced with a major decision concerning the future of PIM which was very stressful. Although ministry opportunities were many and needs great it was not financially feasible to move back to Newfoundland and operate PIM. The company I worked with offered me a permanent full time position and encouraged me to relocate. The “fly in the ointment”, was that I would have to return to full time secular employment. 38 years ago I left secular employment for full time ministry. Would I now have to make a decision to leave ministry for full time secular employment? The stress piled on. I loved what I was doing, but PIM was my calling. Dena returned to NB. to a job she was offered in July. Three provinces away from each other we wrestled with making a decision. At the last minute before accepting the contract to be a full time EAP counsellor, an offer came to me to become an “interim” minister at Boom Road Pentecostal Church in New Brunswick just 3 hours from Woodstock. Since we had already considered doing interim ministry as a part of PIM we took it as God moving us in this direction.

Needless to say our son Michael, Terri-Lynn and the grandchildren, Elliot, Emma, Alexandra, Charlotte, and Benjamin who live in NB are glad to see us back. Ruthie already has plans in place for a visit from London to the place she calls home. Ministry and Family are two things that we highly value.

For us 2015 has been great and we are so blessed to minister to a gracious and kind congregation as we conclude one of the most enjoyable years in ministry. Quite the contrast to 2014 and its anxiety, depression and stress.

In concluding I now return to the topic of stress.

Some stress is needful to make us productive, but too much stress can cause serious physical, emotional, and behavioral problems. Like anxiety and depression it can be debilitating. I am so thankful to be released from the anxiety, depression and the stress of 2014.

The Apostle Peter encourages us, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7. The Psalmist reminds us, Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22

On the practical side there are three things you can do as a preventative measure or to aid in recovery from anxiety, depression and stress:

1.      Eat healthily

2.      Balance Sleep

3.      Exercise regularly

Until next time,Blessings!

Pastor Harold

SPIRITUAL HEALTH & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS: When Life Leaves You Anxious and Depressed

 When Life Leaves You Anxious and Depressed

What do you think and how do you feel when your plans are disrupted, resources deplete or relationships end? Is it time for Counselling?

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye on you" (Ps. 32:8).

This verse is a special verse that I have relied upon during the past 13 years of my spiritual journey. It assures me that God is active in my life. However, I have discovered when my plans are interrupted or changed, resources deplete and relationships are severed, it leaves me with a deep sense of anxiety and depression as I perceive to have lost control.

Maybe you have had a similar experience which have caused you to feel a loss of control, leaving you in a state of anxiety and depression. Sometimes God’s ways doesn’t make sense to us. The ancient writings gives us a good reason for this. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Is. 55:9). He is in control and we have to trust him. Easier said than done. Right?

If you feel a loss of control, it is important to believe that God is in control and, “The Lord is turning the hearts of men in the direction He desires.” (Prov. 21:1). It will help you to move forward.

In counselling clients with anxiety and depression I often use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can help you to change how you think ("Cognitive") and what you do ("Behaviour)". These changes can help you to (“Feel”) better.

Glenn Bleakney in his article, “Three ways to discern God is moving you in a new direction,” says, “You may not understand what is currently happening in your life. Does it seem to you that God has messed up your plans? Have resources dried up? Has a relationship disintegrated? “

When such things happen is your natural default to think negatively? Instead of thinking you have lost control and being left with a deep sense of anxiety and depression, you can change the way you are thinking. Begin to think positive and trust God who is at work in your life.

Trusting God at all times is a non-negotiable because the Lord possesses infinite knowledge and perfect wisdom. He is eternal, Almighty and omniscient. He sees the end from the beginning and is completely aware of the final outcome of all things.

According to Bleakney, “There invariably will come a time in our spiritual journey when the Lord will solicit our cooperation in permitting Him to guide us in a new way. His preference is that we would sense His leading, fully cooperate and move in the new direction.However, as is all too often the case, He must intervene in the affairs of our lives due to the fact that we are comfortable and entrenched in our present course of action.”

Bleakney identifies three strategies God uses to move us in a new direction. He expounds on these using Biblical examples which encourages us to accept the truth, change the negative thinking that is the source of anxiety and depression and embrace positive thinking based on truth. Changing the way you think and the way you behave will ultimately change the way you feel.I hope this post will help you to feel better. It will if you change the way you think and behave.

These are the three strategies and examples.

1. Disruption of our Plans

Bleakney writes, “Perhaps you were heading down a certain roadway and you ended up "hitting a wall" and were stopped in your tracks. From that point on, no matter how hard you worked, you were incapable of making significant progress. Initiatives and projects that were originally inspired by a lofty vision and deep passion ended up languishing, some of them even terminating. “

It maybe God interrupting your plans to take you in a new direction to fulfill His plans for you. The Apostle Paul experienced it on his journey.

"They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they came near Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not allow them" (Acts 16:6-7.



2. Dissipation of Resources

Elijah had been powerfully used by the Lord to declare prophetically the purpose of God in dealing with Israel. And just as the prophet had foretold, the word of the Lord came to pass. "And there was a severe famine in Samaria ... "(1 Kin. 18:2). God looked after Elijah during the time of famine. “…The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook" (1 Kings 17:2-6). . Although Elijah had come to depend on such provision the day came when the brook would run dry and the birds would no longer fly (see 1 Kin. 17:7).

“Have you experienced something similar? Your streams of resource have dried up. You struggle to make ends meet and you do not know how you are going to keep going. During such a time, trust that the Lord will soon speak to you like He did to Elijah.”

"Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you'" (1 Kin. 17:8-9).

3. Dissolution of Relationships

A third way the Lord works to set us in motion in a new direction according to Bleakney, is through the dissolution of certain relationships.

It may be a friendship, a work relationship or some other relationship. Bleakney in his article makes reference to David.

“We see this clearly in the life of David. The heart of King Achish, once favorable to David, turned away from him." Then Achish called David and said to him, 'Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines'" (1 Sam. 29:6-7).

He goes on to say, “An unanticipated meltdown in a relationship can cause great pain. Abandonment and unanswered questions will naturally follow. One vital truth to come to grips with is that God will on occasion send certain people into our lives for a short season or perhaps even a brief encounter God-sanctioned, transitory connections, though nonsustainable, serve a purpose in facilitating the plan of the Lord. Being able to differentiate between what is intended to be provisional and what is meant to be permanent will enlighten one of the Father's intention for the relationship. Therefore, do not take the matter personally and become bitter with people as though they are rejecting you.

Have you hit a wall, been stopped dead in your tracks by a disruption of your plans, a depleting of your resources or a dissipation of a relationship. No need for anxiety and depression. Change the way you think and behave and your feelings will change. The bible calls it transformation. “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. You may feel out of control but God is in control. Trust Him!

Until next time,
Blessings!
Pastor H.

References:
The Bible
Charisma Magazine: “Three ways to discern God is moving you in a new direction.” Glenn Bleakney

SPIRITUAL HEALTH & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS- " The cure and process for healing sorrowful hearts and broken spirits today."

Today I have been pondering words from two of the most wise men that ever lived on this planet. The words of King Solomon in Proverbs 12: 25 and 15:13. The words of Jesus in Luke 4:18.

Let me preface this post with a personal remark. In thinking about my ministry and profession I am glad I am not a news reporter, simply because it seems as if their mandate is to report “bad news”. I don’t really understand why for example the media shows up to a school to report when something negative or bad happens and are nowhere to be found to report the positive or good things that happen in the same school.

 In my ministry and profession I am blessed with a mandate to proclaim “good news”. My “M.O”. over the past three decades is within the context of the words of Jesus in Luke 4:18. (Paraphrased).

“The Spirit of the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good news to the poor;
to heal the broken hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed;”

King Solomon wrote the following many centuries ago.

“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad…….

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

Solomon addressed Spiritual Health and Emotional Wellness in his day. Today it remains an important subject. 

 Anxiety and depression have become the common cold of the 21^st. century. Most disability claims from the workplace are related to mental health issues. This replaces physical issues which were the main disability claims of the past. Recent studies show that the statistic which claims one in five people are affected by mental health issues is conservative. It is higher!

Therefore, we can conclude from statistics and observe by their countenance, that there are many people today with sorrowful hearts and broken spirits, caused by anxiety and depression.  

Solomon not only gives us the cause but also the cure. Anxiety causes depression which in turn is the cause of a sorrowful heart, broken spirit and a sad countenance. The cure comes from “a good word”, which makes the heart glad and a merry heart produces a cheerful face. The process of recovery begins with a good word, encouragement or in the words of Jesus, “good news”.

I am blessed as an ordained minister and a professional counsellor in a society filled with anxiety and depression to be mandated to proclaim “GOOD NEWS”, (the words of Jesus). To encourage hope by using acquired skills to “bind up broken hearts”. It can be a time consuming and delicate   process.

 A lot of effort beside skill is required. But the reward is seeing people liberated who were captives of anxiety, depression and other spiritual and emotional issues, to see the light come on in the eyes of people once blinded by negative and irrational thinking as the truth sets them free, to watch as people once downtrodden by oppression comes to freedom.

Solomon gives a description of mental health issues in his day that also describes mental health issues of our day. Jesus introduces the process to achieve mental wellness in his day which works today.

It begins with a “good word”, encouragement or in the words of Jesus, “good news” and the application of learned skills, directed by the Spirit of the Lord to heal, liberate and free people today with sorrowful hearts and broken spirits, caused by anxiety and depression.  

Until Next Time Blessings!
Pastor Harold

SPIRITUAL HEALTH & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS - "A Reversal of Destiny"

A Reversal of Destiny

To say the past two years (2012-2014) were challenging would be an understatement. Actually they were the two most difficult years of my entire life and ministry journey. It started when we had settled into a new ministry position and suddenly found ourselves without our jobs. On the heels of this was the loss of my colleague and Dena’s boss and his wife and son in a tragic accident on Highway 63. Jobless and grieving we had no help available to deal with our losses, other than some words of encouragement from a couple of people at the District office, I was left to try and help Dena get through all of this in the midst of my own emotional pain which was as excruciating as physical pain. My Spiritual health and emotional wellness was put to the test. I would like to say it brought out the best in me but it didn’t, it brought out the worst that was in me and I had to deal with it in order to recover and grow. It was a very painful journey.

In July of 2014 I was given the opportunity to meditate and reflect without distraction, this was the beginning of a series of events that led to my “reversal of destiny”, a term I picked up from Beth Moore’s study on the book of Esther.  I was asked to join a friend in the preview of this study that she was planning on sharing in her ladies Bible study group. Dena did the study and it became very precious to us and a means of spiritual growth. Actually the key players in our “reversal of destiny” include Beth Moore, Charles Stanley and our friend Tammy.

One evening in Beaumont, Alberta the presence of the Lord was very real and the Holy Spirit was at work in a special way. I decided to take my daily prayer walk. I walked to the mail and after picking up the mail, I was impressed to walk the trail in a reverse direction. While doing the prayer walk, I had a strong impression that I was beginning to walk in a reversal of destiny! It was an amazing evening of ministry by the Holy Spirit.

I was reading Charles Stanley’s book, The Ultimate Conversation, at the time and it spoke directly into my life during this time in my life. ADONIA, became a personal revelation to me as my friend was led to pray over me. The Lord became very real to me as my Guide, Provider and Protector. All three were demonstrated to us during a weekend ministry at Fort McMurray in August 2014 and since.

During this season my passion for ministry was renewed from prayer, Bible study and engaging in conversation with my friend about my early years in ministry and God’s faithfulness especially during  my time in Norris Arm South and my recollections of my connection with Pastor Hubert Holloway and the prayer times at Camp Emmanuel

We had thought maybe our ministry journey would bring us back to Alberta. It seemed to be our destiny. Although opportunities for private practise became available and a pilot project to work alongside Pastor Larry Lindoff to provide counselling ministry at Evangel was successful, we became restless and returned to Woodstock in October to wait further direction. On November 22, 2014 Dena and I experienced a spiritual breakthrough, a release from oppression that had bothered us for two years. It became clear we would have to take a step of faith and go forward in our destiny. Our journey would take us back to our home province

A job opportunity opened for me in December and on the 14^th day of the month of January which I will call my month of Adar, (the meaning of this becomes clear in the conclusion of this article) I started my new position as an EAP Counsellor taking up three days of the week. This leaves me with the remainder of the week for private practice in Christian Counselling and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaching. My weekends are free for ministry opportunities in local churches.  One weekend is already booked. Now all that is needed is office space for C4 Professional Services.

This week I had coffee with my former Assistant Pastor that started his ministerial career with me in Grand Falls in 1989. It is interesting to note that when He resigned to move to Mt. Pearl as an Assistant Pastor, I resigned my position to begin a career track towards counselling. Twenty six years later I have come to Mt. Pearl as a Professional Counsellor. Paul is the lead pastor at the city church we plan on attending. Another Assistant Pastor who moved to a staff position in St. John’s when I resigned and moved to the Maritime District is now Lead Pastor in another city Church. So it is great to have the opportunity to re- connected with my former Assistant Pastors Paul and Bruce.

So going back to my meeting over coffee - during our discussion Paul said he knew of an ideal location for me to set up my counselling practice. He gave me a tour and it is unbelievably ideal. I am now waiting final approval which seems inevitable. So it is very likely that Pastor’s Inn Ministries/C4 Professional Services will soon be operating out of Mount Pearl.

Ps.32:8 was a promise I received in 2002 when I left Newfoundland.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

The conclusion of the matter is summed up from page 208 of the study guide on the Book of Esther by Beth Moore from which I will quote.

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

⁷ I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;

 “Here the lot or portion is an allusion to the way life has worked out; the psalmist is thinking of all the signs of God’s provision which have marked his pilgrimage…..the word had within it the suggestions of destiny.”

In our words, “ Lord in all the chaos and crisis, all the threat and doubts You caused my life to work out. Instead of me falling apart, the lines of my life have fallen together. Truly, I can say that You have given me a delightful inheritance.”

The day we wake up to the goodness of our God and the crushing defeat of the enemy! The day will be a day of joy and feasting…. Esther 9: 19

“…celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day ^[k]of the same month, annually, ²² because on those days the Jews ^[l]rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a ^[m]holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

The Journey over the past two years as I said earlier hasn’t been easy but needful it seems in the process of my spiritual and emotional well- being.  Granting forgiveness, confession and asking forgiveness are never easy and in some situations there may be rejection but it is the right thing to do because it is essential for spiritual growth to take place.

God is faithful but we are required to be obedient to His word before we can experience a reversal of destiny.

Until next time

Blessings!

Pastor Harold

Resources: The Ultimate Conversation by Charles Stanley.

                     Esther, It’s Tough Being A Woman by Beth Moore

                     Bible, The New American Standard Version.

 

 

 

Spiritual Health & Emotional Wellness- Substance Abuse

ALCOHOL.

I have taken an interest in following the career path of a student who first interviewed me for a magazine article when he was just fourteen years old. Since then he completed high school. In his graduating year he worked at the local newspaper office. He is now enrolled in a Journalism degree program at a nearby University. This kid has a lot of potential. However, I was very concerned when I read posts on his Face book page saying he has been using alcohol since starting university, something he successfully avoided up until his high school graduation. He claims he has found his tolerance level and feels comfortable with drinking.

I thought about him as I studied for my Addiction Studies Certificate. I can’t help but to wonder if he realizes the risks of becoming involved in the use of alcohol. Does he know he has a “tiger by the tail”.

In this post I will profile this “tiger,” (alcohol). It is the most popular and widely used drug and is considered to be the oldest known sedative/hypnotic and intoxicant. Traditionally it is used as an aesthetic, sedative and sleep inducing properties, religious and celebratory occasions and recreation.

The degree of intoxication from alcohol depend on consumption during a single drinking episode. The early effects of this Central Nervous System depressant is known to elevate activity and disinhibition after 1-3 drinks. Increased doses can cause drowsiness, stupor, coma and death. Other known effects include, blackouts, violence, psychiatric effects. Long term use causes alcoholic dementia, damage to the peripheral nervous system characterized by loss of feeling in the feet and may be accompanied by burning pain and overall difficulty in walking. Cardiovascular damage can occur as it increases blood pressure and interferes in blood clotting increasing the risk of stroke. Gastrointestinal damage occurs from irritation of the stomach’s lining from alcohol. It also increases the risk of cancer. Alcoholics have a high admission rate to psychiatric hospitals and 6 times higher suicide rate than the population average.

Tolerance varies with individuals. Physical dependence is indicated by tolerance and/or withdrawal caused by abstinence. When use is stopped abruptly withdrawal symptoms likely to be experienced include, sweating, racing pulse, tremors, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, agitation and anxiety. More severe symptoms are seizures, delirium tremens (DTs). Withdrawal can be treated in a hospital or detox facility.

Quite a “tiger”
 Until Next Time
Blessings!
Pastor Harold

SPIRITUAL HEALTH & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS - PTSD, Nelson Mandela & Revenue Canada

What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? In answering this question the National Institute of Mental Health states,

“PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.

PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.”

Well I am of the opinion that traumatic stress is not limited to physical harm but also includes mental harm and can be brought on by something as simple as losing your job in today’s society.

In any event, Nelson Mandela, who survived both physical and mental trauma has become an international icon and beacon of hope. He is a unique individual largely by his choice not to let the trauma inflicted upon him destroy him, but rather choose to allow it to mound him into a compassionate servant leader. He who is now dead, “yet speaketh”, and may we be inspired by his voice of hope. His example shows us, regardless of injustices, we can make a difference without torching police cars and threatening lives. There is a more noble way. Mandela has shown us that “evil can be overcome by good”.

Thank you Nelson Mandela for your sacrificial life and for your death which has unleashed a tsunami of good news in the media. It is so refreshing to escape the coverage of corruption in the Mayor’s office, the Red Chamber (red with embarrassment these days) and the PMO’s office which should also be glowing red with embarrassment, the PM in particular.

It is so much easier to curse the darkness than to light a candle. I have done my fair share of lamenting over the sociopathic leadership in churches and government, simply because I have been affected by both. But maybe it’s time to be inspired by Mandela to be one voice, one life devoted to change and become more active.

Certainly, there is a need for change in our country. More than anything we need leadership with compassion, not cold insensitive leadership that seems to be the incarnation of the bureaucratic agencies created by government like the Employment Insurance Agency and Revenue Canada to name just two.

Where is the compassion for our soldiers who suffer from PTSD and return home after the trauma of being engaged in a war we didn’t start only to find there is limited access and few resources to help them to cope. Even the resources that could be used are not available because of beauracy.  Help is refused or not available often due to the paper qualifications demanded by National Defense or even Medavie Blue Cross who refuses to pay for mental health care for its clients  unless they see a professional with specific paper credentials, obviously a savings for them at the expense of their clients because of limited availability. A clear case of capital trumping compassion. There is no excuse for months of waiting in order to see a Mental Health Professional. People can receive, and should receive help when they need it. A Master’s or Doctorate degree is not a requirement to give Mental Health First Aid. The Mental Health Commission has trained instructors through Mental Health First Aid Canada, but where is the support of Government or other agencies to promote and pay for the training of the public?

Getting back to Employment Insurance and Revenue Canada. We have the lack of support for people who are victims of stress because of unexpected job loss. Take those in Saskatchewan in the pot ash industry for example. Think for a moment about the trauma and loss of dignity and the stress they will experience at this time of year. But we have Employment Insurance for such emergencies. Now that is one big joke! Fifty five percent of your original income, reduced further if you choose to work for a minimum wage and if you are sixty years old or over and have taken a penalty to claim a pension that you paid into over your working career, be prepared to declare that as income to further reduce your benefits. Revenue Canada is already watching to inform Employment Insurance should you not be aware that it is income you must report. Their computer screens are already fired up and itchy fingers are at the keyboard in anticipation to nail you while their eyes are closed to the criminal element that are robbing our government blind.

Talk about PTSD and the unnecessary trauma and stress imposed on people by agencies that are supposed to help relieve stress in times of crisis. Coupled with leaders that incarnate their lack of concern and compassion there is definitely a need for change. Here I am on the verge of cursing the darkness. Can one voice, one life be a catalysis for change in this country, to make a difference for our soldiers, the person struggling with mental illness, the neighbor who after working all their life time is now further traumatized by government agencies funded by their tax dollars.

Will there be more Mandela’s in this world or after his burial will we go back to wallowing in the mire of the corruption and continue to watch the faces of the corrupted flashed to us daily by the media and try to find solace in the thought, it only happens to the other person. Where is the compassionate, servant leadership needed at all levels of our society. Do you have the spirit of Mandela?  Don’t become a victim of PTSD and buy into the lie that the only way to escape the pain is death by suicide. There is hope there is help, you can make a difference. Rise up!

Until Next Time

Blessings!

Pastor Harold

Spiritual Health & Emotional Wellness - You can't trust leadership to tell the truth"

” You can’t trust leadership to tell the truth”. If I take Senator Mike Duffy at face value, I am living in that day. While it may not be true of all leadership it is certainly true of some.

The recent Senate scandal is a wake- up call to all of us. We need to discern the times in which we live and see how far we have drifted from values like integrity, trust, honesty and the like. Sadly there seems to be a prevailing attitude of “who cares”. Who cares if Prime Ministers or for that matter, Presidents, Mayors, Business executives, Priests or Pastors in leadership can’t be trusted to tell the truth and have no shame in cover ups to deceive the public. It seems to be no big deal as long as they can deliver on bringing success in the form of some type of prosperity. If the numbers are good, if there is something to make us feel good, anything to appeal to our pride, as long as they don’t get caught in their deception, then who cares?  If they, “lie, buy and destroy”, to hold on to power and take care of their self –interests, if they use others as dirt rags and harm the careers of good people in covering up their sins, who cares ?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I do. The dishonest actions of a leader will eventually effect the country and its citizens. History bears witness and will do so again in our time. The same is true in all organizations, secular and religious.

Lying and deception are not new concerning leaders. Good people if they are not held accountable can become corrupted by power and position. We can go back to the days of King David in the nation of Israel to see how power and position without accountability nearly destroyed him. Fortunately there was a voice for righteousness in the land and the King humbled himself to accountability and came clean about his lying scheme to cover up his wrong doing. He was sorry for what he did, not because he got caught but because it was wrong. (Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” - the complete story is historically recorded in the Bible- 2 Samuel 11-12).  David however was willing to confess and repent, something that is rarely even considered today and there are very few with the will to stem the tide of wrong doing in today’s society and stand for the truth, demanding accountability from leaders.

So what does this have to do with Spiritual Health and Emotional Wellness? I believe it speaks for itself. A person who grasps after power and will “lie buy and destroy” to hold on to it for selfish interests and pride is both spiritually unhealthy and emotionally unwell.

When corruption and cover up is the order of the day in all institutions and is deemed acceptable by its constituents, it is a true sign our nation is in a state of spiritual sickness and emotional illness.

The only way to change is to start by admitting to having a problem and then to take action to change. David got it right, confession and repentance,  it’s the honorable thing to do, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. President, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Business Executive, Mr. Priest , Mr. Pastor, Mr. Mrs. Ms.

Until Next Time- Blessings!

Pastor Harold