Counselors Reflect on Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp
A Series to Care for the Care Takers of God’s People
“Biblical maturity is never just about what you know; it’s always about how grace has employed what you have come to know to transform the way you live.” P. 26.
It has always been easy to agree with the idea that God wants to conform us to his image. That is, the “good” that Romans 8:28 is speaking about is the process and the result of our becoming more Christ-like. In his thoroughly redemptive ways God uses all the events and circumstances in our lives in ways that have remarkable value for our good. We all as followers of Christ can agree that all the things that happen in our lives are intended to point us toward Christ, not away from him. The idea is simple to embrace. But experiencing what this looks like is another story. It’s one thing to preach and teach about forgiveness, but it’s another thing to extend forgiveness when you have been wronged.
Most people would agree with Tripp’s quote above and it may even elicit a hearty “amen” but, why is it so challenging to experience the gospel where it stretches us in some very uncomfortable ways? We can believe that knowing something is quite different from experiencing it. Think of all the armchair quarterbacks there are in this country. They are always free with advice and instruction on what the player should have done or how he could have done it better. But in the theatre of life experiencing the life is so much more challenging. And yet, this is what the gospel is all about. It is never merely something that gets us into heaven, but the gospel is the point. We must experience it every moment of every day. As it has been said, we must preach the gospel to ourselves every day. We cannot excise ourselves from this experience of grace and truth but we must embrace it regardless of the circumstances. In these circumstances we learn and we experience the life-changing gospel.
Sometimes it can be challenging for pastors and Christian workers. Eugene Peterson said about his role as a pastor, “my job is not to solve people’s problems or make them happy, but to help them see the grace operating in their lives.” The first step in this process is to see that very grace operating in your own life. You cannot give what you don’t possess. So, being honest with your own struggles, being grateful for how those struggles may force you to your knees, and embracing the fact that you, too, are being transformed in your heart and your mind will be what causes maturity in your life. It will make you a leader worth following.
The concept of growing in truth and grace is easy. Experiencing it is not as easy. Proverbs 3:5 offers good advice.
“Trust in the Lord will all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
Moving from the head knowledge of biblical truth to the heart knowledge is a difficult journey, but it is a trip worth making. So, whether you’re a pastor or a congregant, ask the Lord to help you see the “grace operating in your own life.”
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 |