Counselors Reflect on Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp
A Series to Care for the Care Takers of God’s People
“Joe worried about how the knowledge of his struggles would harm people’s hope in the power of the gospel. He didn’t want people to question the gospel because it didn’t look as though the gospel was working in the life of their pastor.” Page 76
Sometimes a subtle miscalculation, a slight distortion, can seep into our guttural beliefs. As ministry leaders, we are very conscious of the way we are perceived by those we are responsible for leading. This sensitivity to the way we are watched, heard, and interpreted is vital for us to truly understand the people and context in which we are placed, and help redirect them towards fullness in Christ. But the smallest misanalysis with Christ, who is our life (Col. 3:4), can take us down a path of anxiety, conflict, and emptiness.
This excerpt from Tripp’s book, ‘Dangerous Calling,’ is both convicting and yet all too common. Ministry leaders can devote themselves to noble causes with good intentions, and still abandon the love they had at first (Rev. 2:4). When we over value our participation in our relationship with God, we can negate the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5), who loved us first (1 John 4:19). Only with this essential view of Christ, can we love others sincerely and effectively. The gospel frees us up to honestly examine our motives, not so that we can become complacent with our sin or damage the image of Christ, but so we can humbly pursue holiness by walking in the Spirit. This includes being realistic of where we are at in the process of sanctification, while remembering and trusting that redemption is not completed until restoration (1 John 3:2).
It is important for ministry leaders to be actively and intentionally engaged in daily self-examination. Considering who they are in Christ, and what they are doing in His good purposes. When we are clear on God’s role and ours, we are more tuned into communing with Him, loving our families well, understanding the value and purpose of our work, and establishing a more eternal hope for our communities. The gospel becomes the lens through which we interpret, imagine, and practice our faith. In other words, the gospel actually becomes good news.
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 |