Genesis 9:22 (NKJV)

‘And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.’

Since every man struggles with some form of imperfection, it is, therefore, possible that the man, whom you consider as your leader, your mentor, or disciple-maker, may actually stumble and practice something that is unbefitting and inglorious for a servant of God. So what must you do? I think the real issue should not be the weakness of the man but your reaction to him. You may have stumbled into the weakness and you may not have actually intended to uncover him, but once you are aware of that weakness, you need to be careful how you respond to it.

Rather than Ham covering his father, Ham called his brothers to behold his fathers’ nakedness. What did he have in mind? Why couldn’t he just cover up his father and later discuss the issues with him or with his brothers, if he must?

This is not a call to hide or protect evil. This is a call for wisdom in dealing with those whom God has used to bless you in the past, and who for some reason, have fallen into an inglorious state. Does publicizing it help the fallen leader return to the right path? If the issue is not a recurring issue, deal with it in private and let him know you are aware and watching. If it reoccurs, then raise it with other men of authority and leadership, but not with the general public. Learn from Ham. Gloating over the fall of your leaders and mentors may actually earn you a well-deserved curse that God Himself will honor.

‘Lord, there’s always the possibility of failure and I pray that I will have the grace to feel empathy if someone I respect falls or fail in his walk with God. Help Lord, not to join the bandwagon of those who discuss and celebrate the failure of your servants. Teach me to pray for them and if I have access, to help them recover. Forgive me where I have gloated in the past. In Jesus name. Amen.’