Counselors Reflect on Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp
A Series to Care for the Care Takers of God’s People
“All creation is meant to be a finger pointing us to ultimate glory, the only glory that can ever satisfy the human heart, the glory of God” (Paul David Tripp in Dangerous Calling, page 48).
Several years ago, I was reading Matthew 6:25-34, needing to be reminded of the promise that God cares for us and knows what we need all the time—especially in the midst of anxiety. I had spent two years of my life overseas, and it was time to return back to the United States. I had no idea what I was going to do. I had no idea what the transition back to the States was going to be like, and I was anxious. Sitting on my blue futon (my “Jesus time” place), I opened up to Matthew 6 and turned to the familiar passage. That particular day, I read out of the Message translation: “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you” (Matt. 6:25-28, italics mine)? As I read, the phrase “walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers” literally jumped off the page at me. I got up, grabbed my camera, and walked outside to the park adjacent to our apartment building to a hillside of wild flowers. Red and yellow poppies were everywhere. I spent about two hours on that hillside, just looking at the flowers. The details of the flowers were amazing. I began taking pictures of the details of those beautiful poppies. The Lord used the beauty of those flowers to point me to Him. If He cared about the details of the wild flowers, did He not also care for me? A few weeks later I returned to the States. Though I did not know what was going to do initially, He provided a job. His timing was perfect.
In my office now, a picture sits over where my counselees sit of a beautiful field of wildflowers, taken on that day several years ago. As I look at each counselee during our session, I cannot help but see that picture on the wall. It acts as a reminder that the Lord cares for the details of each counselee’s life, as He cares for me.
Are you anxious? Are you troubled? Remember that the Lord knows what you need. In the midst of the busyness, sometimes what we need is literally stop and look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. He cares about the details of His creation, as He cares for the details of your life.
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Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry By Paul David Tripp / Crossway Books & Bibles |