I’m deeply saddened by what I read, that Raphael Palmiero tested positive for an illegal substance and was suspended for 10 games for violating Major League Baseball’s Steroid policy.  This saddens me as a baseball fan because Palmiero is such a classy player and just joined the 3,000 hit club.  But it should serve as a warning to us as leaders because it’s one mistake that can ruin your credibility.

This has happened in the church too many times.  We all know the names.  But there was this lapse of reason and understanding that credibility is all that you have if you want to lead. 

It’s no surprise that credibility comes from the root word "Credit."  And when you make a major moral, ethical, or strategic error, you spend some of the credits you’ve earned over the years.  Sometimes the mistakes are minor and it only costs a few credits.  Other times, the mistakes are major and we never recover from them. 

The key is to do what’s right and build our credibility as people who follow where God is leading.  If not, trust is lost and our leadership is paralyzed.  And it’s a lot easier to spend credits than it is to earn them.  It’s like how easy it is to eat calories over burning them…