A leadership group that I am apart of is reading a book by Roberts Liardon entitled God’s Generals. It is one book in a series on men and women who led movements and revivals over the past 150 years. This first book examines the lives and ministries of great healing evangelists such as John Alexander Dowie, Maria Woodworth-Etter, Evan Roberts, Charles Parham, John G. Lake, Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee Simple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman and others. Although we are not quite through with the study yet, there are some common denominators found in the life and ministries of these amazing people that can be instructive to us.

These were men and women that did not have the advantage of mass technology in their worlds. Some were born right after the Civil War and others around the turn of the century. No television, no CD’s, and few if any even found their way to radio. Yet their preaching touched thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions. Most preached and healed and had hundreds and even thousands of well documented miracles of healing in their ministries. Most felt a compelling call from God at a young age and grew up in families that were faithful believers that made prayer and Bible study a center piece of their family. Many of their parents were involved in Bible study groups and prayer groups and let their children participate at a young age. Some received a call from God later in life after they were married and running businesses. Most were not well educated by the world’s standards but had faith and once they surrendered to the Lord, were totally sold out to their calling. A number of them were strong willed. So was the Apostle Paul. Several were almost eccentric in nature. I’ve noticed that God often uses extreme people in extreme ways. Many came from working class families who were always just one step ahead of poverty. Hours of prayer were always at the heart of their ministries. God did amazing things through each of these individuals but sadly and disappointingly, many finished poorly and some very poorly.

Without being critical of any of these individuals, I want to share a few things that seemed to contribute to those who did not finish well after having world-changing ministries at one time. We too should guard ourselves as we serve the Lord. One thing that came up over and over was the fact that many of these evangelists were so consumed by their ministries that they did not take care of their health. They were sleep-deprived months on end. They did not exercise or learn to deal with the stress of ministry to thousands. They did not rest, did not take time off, and did not manage the demands that so many put on them. There is a real trap in feeling indispensible – as if all those making demands on you cannot live without you. Eventually they experienced emotional and spiritual burnout which often manifested in psychological issues which tended to discredit their ministries.

It may sound spiritual to “keep answering the 24/7 call of ministry” but Jesus often went off by himself, left the crowds when they were clamoring for more, and found time to sleep even in the midst of storms. Jesus never seemed to be in a hurry and his schedule never seemed to be out of control because God set his agenda rather than men or the demands of ministry. We must rest, exercise, take mental health days, and maintain some margins in our lives for the unexpected moments that God arranges that are not already scheduled on our calendars. God created us to need those things like food and water and to ignore them for weeks, months, and years invites disaster.

Secondly, most of these individuals felt that God had called only them to their ministry. They rarely equipped others to minister as they did or asked the Lord to impart their gift or their mantle to another. They prepared no one to take their mantle as Elijah prepared Elisha. When they died, when their health failed, or when they stumbled there was no one to continue the revival or the healing ministries. It simply began and ended with them. They equipped no disciples as Jesus had done to continue the work he began. The next generation was unable to build on the foundations laid by these great revivalists. The next generation was often left to start from scratch. As we lead and develop ministries, we must train and empower others to lead in better ways that we have ever led. We must pray for their giftings and anointing to be greater than our own. And we must be willing to turn the reigns over to them when they are ready.

Another of the things that is clear in the life of these men and women who finished poorly was that when they began, they saw themselves as inadequate servants of Christ totally dependent on Jesus and the Holy Spirit for their ministries. As time passed, they came to draw their sense of significance from the ministries they led, the reviews they received, and the miracles that men attributed to them. They began to take the glory that was God’s and stuff it in their own pockets. They became jealous, arrogant, possessive, and angry at anyone who questioned them. Suddenly they were above correction and criticism. Since God often speaks to us through other people, they began to miss the correcting voice of God and ended up in the ditch. They forgot that God exalts the humble but humbles the proud.

Related to that, it is remarkable how few of these great men and women had close friends who could speak into their lives and tell them the truth…especially as their ministries prospered. Most likely the hectic schedules and travel tore them away from whatever relationships they had once enjoyed so that those relationships grew cold. Many had families that they essentially abandoned for the “great works” God had given them. Since they had no long-term friends to watch their lives objectively and warn them if they were wandering from a godly path, they wandered. Sometimes their theology drifted way off course. Sometimes their attitudes and perspectives became skewed. Although they were surrounded by thousands they still lived in isolation from friends who loved them enough to tell them the truth before they were so far away that they could no longer hear anyone.

Everyone of us needs people in our lives who know us and who have permission to speak to us about concerns they have for us. Jesus surrounded himself with twelve and within that group he had three, Peter, James and John, that he held even closer. Of course, he didn’t need correction but even he needed companionship and encouragement. Even Jesus needed those close to him to pray for him and stand with him in times of persecution. We need that as well. When we isolate ourselves because we are too busy or because we don’t want people to tell us what we don’t want to hear, trouble is on the way.

Finally, as these men and women grew amazing ministries they often began to expand their vision for what they were doing or their ministry associates began to expand the vision. The ministry became a business. Some decided to build utopian cities where only believers would live and Christ would reign. Some saw themselves as the mayor or governor of that city and soon they were planning roads, marking out subdivisions, drafting budgets and raising money rather than preaching the gospel as they had been called to do. God was in their preaching but not in their city building. The planned cities failed and so did the ministries that were neglected because of the distraction of a vision God did not give. We need to stay on track and within our gifts as we fulfill God’s call on our lives. The distraction of good things that are not the thing God has called us to do often keeps us from being truly effective in anything.

These are just some thoughts I have had as I have been reading about God’s Generals. Maybe they can be useful thoughts and markers for you as well.