Thoughts on backsliding

It's hard not to get jaded in this ministry. You hear guys' stories. They tell of how bad they've been. They weep in repentance over their sin. They get connected to a church. They get involved in a small group, in ministry, etc. Then they fall off the wagon and end up in trouble again.

I know I'm the same way. How many times have I told God, "I'll never do that again" only to find myself doing it again. How often have I had to go to a pastor or friend and tell him that I've fallen again in the same area. It just gets discouraging when you invest so much in someone and you see so much progress. You begin to question yourself, Was I taken for a ride? Did I miss something? Was I being too naive?

True, there is always something to learn. In this case, we learned the importance of strict accountability. We saw the power—and the madness—of drug addiction. What a scourge on the human soul it is! What a tool of the devil to enslave untold thousands. I guess it's good that we got a dose of reality now rather than later.