Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Lateral Support

We have seen from both the Bible and real life that jealousy and envy are difficult to overcome. How do you overcome these two evils when you're on the receiving end?

One way is to develop "lateral support." This means that you have other Godly Christians as friends, and you can go to them for advice. Lateral support is important enough that most churches pay to allow their pastor to go to ministers' conferences, realizing that they help the preacher improve in his service. It is also important enough that Christian school teachers are not allowed to have it; their conferences are tightly controlled by pastors, and even their newsletters are actually pastor-controlled.

Is "lateral support" Biblical? You need to know, because abusive pastors either forbid or discourage lateral support.
Pr 11:14 ¶ Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Pr 15:22 ¶ Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Pr 24:6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.The Apostle Paul followed this pattern, usually having Godly companions with him.
Ac 20:4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia--also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

So what kind of people should you go to for lateral support? And how do you develop lateral support?