Many believers talk about the consequences of their actions – both positive and negative. However, inaction can have a very devastating effect on our lives, as much as negative action would do. Imagine you are standing in the middle of an expressway on an election day when cars have been banned from moving. But suddenly, you see a car racing towards you. If you refuse to take off from that spot, your inaction may cost you as much as your life. Similarly, in ministry, we face several challenges where inaction could cripple our effectiveness. Surprisingly, such problems show up like tiny earthworms and we often overlook them due to their initial size, but overtime they grow up to become like pythons, and are able to give everyone sleepless nights.

Many leaders claim they are problem solvers, but the question is – what kinds of problems are we solving? Christian leaders often find it easier to solve secular, electrical, mechanical, educational or technical problems. But when confronted with people issues, we cringe. How do we handle it if the man who pays the fattest offerings in church goes about insulting the ushers? How do we handle that rebellious deacon who goes around spreading negative news about church members? How do we handle workers who know they are accountable to God but neglect their duty posts? What do you do when your assistant pastor starts preaching false doctrine in your new branch and tells the congregation that you are a false teacher?

For many leaders, we are quick to say – let sleeping dogs lie; after all, everyone will give account to God. Some will only preach against it on the pulpit. We rarely confront people issues and prefer to sweep them under the carpet but it seems as though those sleeping dogs usually wake up in future to hurt everyone. Snow and adolescence are the only problems that disappear if you ignore them long enough (Earl Wilson). Therefore, we must learn to crush the problems when there are still in the form of earthworms, because when they become like pythons, we have a more difficult job to do. 1Timothy 5:20 (CEV) says “But if any of the leaders should keep on sinning, they must be corrected in front of the whole group, as a warning to everyone else.” This verse forbids inaction on people issues.

In the last 10 years of Christ Lifeline’s existence, we have had people issues where we let sleeping dogs lie. But when we saw little dogs become monsters over the years, we began to learn to confront issues as they showed up. Some people are like Jonah; as long as they are in the boat, there will be no peace and progress. It’s not necessarily because they are bad people; it’s just because they have a different assignment. So you have to assist them into the belly of a whale so they can reach their own mission station in peace.  John Maxwell once said – “a great dream with a bad team is nothing more than a nightmare”. Surprisingly, just one man can cause that nightmare. In Galatians 5:7,9 (GNB) – the bible says “You were doing so well! Who made you stop obeying the truth? How did he persuade you? It takes only a little yeast to make the whole batch of dough rise”. The Galatians were doing great with the gospel of redemption. When they had issues, Paul did not ask what was wrong; he asked – WHO did this to you?

So I say to you today – Who are your fellow workers in God’s vineyard? Who are your friends? What actions and inactions are you excusing today?

– Tope S. Aladenusi