Counselors Reflect on Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp
A Series to Care for the Care Takers of God’s People
Is it safe to assume that your pastor is loving his wife, children and extended family? (p. 79)
In the last section of chapter 5 under the heading A Better, More Healthy Way, Tripp encourages and gives tips to pastors and the churches they pastor to help care for those pastors families. Pastors should regularly evaluate and measure their public ministry to others by the health of their personal ministry to his family. Pastors’ first ministry is to their wives and children. Paul instructs that a man cannot care for God’s church if he doesn’t care for his family well. Unfortunately, many pastors view their success in life and ministry from the opposite standpoint. That if the church is doing well and the ministry is growing then so should their families. Sometimes they are confused when their wife and kids are in pain and struggling, because if more people are coming to Christ and ministry is taking off then their families should be thriving as well. God warns his pastors in the book of Malachi that their families should not suffer at the expense of ministry (Malachi 2:13-16). Jesus also cautioned that ministry should not be used as a justification for the lapse in the care of one’s household (Mark 7:8-12). And the apostle Paul says similarly that those who do not care his family is akin to infidel and has disregarded the faith (1 Timothy 5:8). The Bible repeatedly tells men how wives and children are a blessing to them and much of what comprises a satisfying and full life in Christ is related to family. Remember ministry is designed to help pastors love their families better not worse. If you are a pastor I encourage you love your families more than ministry and to be willing to even let go of some or all ministry responsibilities that do not allow you to serve your family well.
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 |