Counselors Reflect on Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp
A Series to Care for the Care Takers of God’s People
Pastor, make sure you are being pastored the entire time you are pastoring others. Seek out a mature and reliable person with whom you can share your heart. Paul David Tripp, ‘Dangerous Calling,’ p.80
Paul Tripp practically cuts to the chase by imploring pastors to humility in submitting themselves to the pastoral care. When Jesus is not in His place as the King of kings, the hierarchy can become a bit bottlenecked, and theo-political chaos ensues. Christian leaders can distort the gospel of God, and sabotage the mission of God, when attempting to minister out of their own power.
Simply put, pastors are not the King. Jesus is the King. As ministry leaders, we are to submit to our role as a royal priesthood. This means we are responsible for proclaiming the excellencies of God, and caring for people and creation. By usurping God’s throne, we confuse our purpose in the mission. We do not set the agenda. We are not all knowing, and certainly not all powerful
When we understand our position in God’s Kingdom, we can faithfully minister the Word, while making ourselves vulnerable to other members of the body. As an under shepherd, it is vital to be connected in meaningful, secure relationships, where leaders can share their struggles, hopes, and conflicts in a redemptive way.
Ministry leaders are often hesitant in confiding their soul to other Christians for fear it may compromise their ability to lead the church. Certainly, leaders should be discerning in whom they share their struggles with. Leaders should not flippantly ramble to whoever will listen. But leaders should also be aware of their own depravity by battling their own sin within the context of community. Pursuing holiness in community should be a primary concern for Christian leaders. It is a critical foundation for fruitfulness in ministry. Do not allow your ambition to change the world, cause you to neglect your initial witness to the world as salt and light.
By humbling ourselves and seeking redemptive community, we honor God rightly as the King, and become more effective in pointing others to the Wonderful Counselor. As partakers of grace, we become more familiar with the path of righteousness through repentance and faith, and can more comfortably share the truth and grace of Christ. From a position of ‘lowly and contrite’ we can more fully participate with the work of the Spirit, without attempting to manufacture salvation and change. We are all prone to wander, and in need of ‘one-anothering,’ but we also require sharpening in order to continue to grow.
Join us as we explore “Dangerous Calling” by Paul David Tripp.
www.bridgehavencounseling.org/dangerouscalling
To order a copy of your own of Paul Tripp’s book click on the link below.
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Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry
By Paul David Tripp / Crossway Books & Bibles |
Chris Ball
Executive Director, Bridgehaven Counseling Associates – Raleigh