Personal Integrity

Aug. 28, 2008

This week Christianity's been slapped across the face yet again. It's incredible to me the people who lead double lives and are sort of "famous" in the Christian world.... Catholic priests molesting children, pastors of huge churches participating in gay sex, and televangelists being financially dishonest.

The latest is Michael Guglielmucci (say that 3 times fast) from Australia. He's a pastor, musician, and songwriter from the Planetshakers band. One song he wrote in particular which is so powerful and Hillsong put on their latest album "This is Our God," is called "Healer." His songs have touched the lives of literally thousands of young people across the earth and now all of that has been damaged....

Guglielmucci said he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and he wrote the song "Healer" as a declaration of faith in God. (Find the Hillsong version on YouTube. It's really good. If you do watch it, notice the oxygen tank on stage with him....)

Last week he confessed to his parents, who are pastors of a church in Australia, that he didn't have cancer. He had lied. He used it as a coverup for his pornography addiction that he's had since he was 12 years old. He even wrote phony letters to his friends and family asking for money. He felt so guilty about it all that he'd immerse himself in good things: i.e. youth, songwriting, etc. The guilt he had from leading his double life made him physically sick. He is now undergoing psychiatric care because they're worried he might have actually believed that he had cancer. He is also signing over all the royalties that he gets from his songs because he doesn't want the money. *Google "Michael Guglielmucci" for articles.*

This is so heartbreaking.... My heart breaks for his wife, who had no idea; his parents and family members; the people at Hillsong; and the people in his church and have been positively affected by all of his efforts.It is so important that we who call ourselves Christians live lives that life up to that high calling. Personally, I can't imagine having an addiction or an issue in my life and getting up and leading worship for people in my church or youth group every week. And that's such a small scale compared to the thousands of people he's impacted.

This is also an ever-constant reminder that we can't trust everybody. A worship leader making up a story about having terminal cancer (he even had symptoms like clumps of his hair falling out as a result of the stress and guilt he was experiencing!) to cover up his 18-year porn addiction?!? Who would have thought???

We have to continually put Christ first and not ourselves and our sinful desires. Our personal lives MUST line up with our "public" or "Christian" personas. The Bible says that darkness is as light to the Lord. All that is hidden will be revealed. If we are to be people who practice what we preach, we must start with ourselves! I'm not talking about perfection or unrealistic standards because we are imperfect people and we will stumble, but we don't have to FALL. If Guglielmucci had admitted to someone that he had this problem and was getting counseling or taking active steps to free himself of that addiction, I would have much less of a problem. (I should note that Guglielmucci confessed, he wasn't caught.)

What's also incredible to me is how God used him in spite of that addiction. God isn't surprised by this revelation. He saw Guglielmucci the whole time and still used his songs to touch people....

Like John Mayer said, "Gravity has taken a better man than me.... Gravity stay the hell away from me!"

Oh God, please keep me in Your hand.... Don't let me become consumed with myself.... Don't let me get to the place where I think I'm invincible and will never get caught.... Let me stay in Your way, everlasting.... Let me run from the sin that so easily entangles into Your arms of grace.... Oh God, keep me....