A Word to the Wise by Paul Tripp
Suffering Is Never Neutral
We never suffer only the thing we are suffering; we also always suffer the way we are suffering. We never come to our suffering empty-handed. We always drag a bag full of experiences, expectations, assumptions, perspectives, desires, intentions, and decisions into our suffering.
Thus, our lives are shaped not only by what we suffer but by also what we bring to our suffering. How we think about ourselves, life, God, and others will profoundly affect the way in which we think about, interact with, and respond to the difficulties that come our way.
Fight the Enemy by Counting Blessings
When we are suffering, we must force ourselves to pay attention to our private conversation, that is, the words we say to ourselves that no one else hears. We are always talking to ourselves about ourselves, life, God, others, meaning and purpose, relationships, trouble, solutions, hope, the past, the future, and so on. Because of this constant internal conversation, we influence ourselves more than anyone else does, since we hear what we ourselves have to say more than we hear anyone else. But every sufferer must ask, ‘Has my suffering caused me to begin to believe things that are not true and therefore to say to myself things that are not true?’ We need to question our own assumptions. We need to argue with our own hearts. We need to confront evidences of unbelief in our private conversation.
There is no more powerful tool against debilitating doubt than gratitude. It is exactly at the point where we are tempted to doubt our blessings that counting our blessings is the most important. A thankful heart is the best defense against a doubting heart. Recounting evidences of God’s presence, his grace, his faithfulness to his promises, his provision, and the reliability of what he has told us in his Word reminds us of God’s goodness—and, because it does, it protects us against the lies that tempt us to deem him as less than good.
No matter how difficult or long-lasting our suffering may have been, there are blessings to be found.
Our battle is not merely the difficult thing we are facing but also encompasses the impact of the difficulty on our hearts.
Paul Tripp, 3.1.25, excerpts from “Grace + Knowledge: When Suffering Knocks”
Suffering Is Never Neutral
We never suffer only the thing we are suffering; we also always suffer the way we are suffering. We never come to our suffering empty-handed. We always drag a bag full of experiences, expectations, assumptions, perspectives, desires, intentions, and decisions into our suffering.
Thus, our lives are shaped not only by what we suffer but by also what we bring to our suffering. How we think about ourselves, life, God, and others will profoundly affect the way in which we think about, interact with, and respond to the difficulties that come our way.
Fight the Enemy by Counting Blessings
When we are suffering, we must force ourselves to pay attention to our private conversation, that is, the words we say to ourselves that no one else hears. We are always talking to ourselves about ourselves, life, God, others, meaning and purpose, relationships, trouble, solutions, hope, the past, the future, and so on. Because of this constant internal conversation, we influence ourselves more than anyone else does, since we hear what we ourselves have to say more than we hear anyone else. But every sufferer must ask, ‘Has my suffering caused me to begin to believe things that are not true and therefore to say to myself things that are not true?’ We need to question our own assumptions. We need to argue with our own hearts. We need to confront evidences of unbelief in our private conversation.
There is no more powerful tool against debilitating doubt than gratitude. It is exactly at the point where we are tempted to doubt our blessings that counting our blessings is the most important. A thankful heart is the best defense against a doubting heart. Recounting evidences of God’s presence, his grace, his faithfulness to his promises, his provision, and the reliability of what he has told us in his Word reminds us of God’s goodness—and, because it does, it protects us against the lies that tempt us to deem him as less than good.
No matter how difficult or long-lasting our suffering may have been, there are blessings to be found.
Our battle is not merely the difficult thing we are facing but also encompasses the impact of the difficulty on our hearts.
Paul Tripp, 3.1.25, excerpts from “Grace + Knowledge: When Suffering Knocks”
Here are Four Things to Know this Week:
1. At What Age Should a Pastor Retire? Ten Diagnostic Questions (Thom Rainer)
(I believe most of these also apply to an Associational Mission Strategist.)
2. What is Biblical Productivity? (Reagan Rose)
3. NAMB RePlant Team Introduces New Resource at Associational Leaders’ Training Lab
(Baptist Press)
4. SBC Digest: Dallas Gearing Up for Crossover; Lifeway Resource Aims to Deepen Discipleship (Baptist Press)
Thank you for reading this blog. I hope it is a help to you.
Please share it - or certain articles - that you believe would bless your Pastors.
To the praise of His glory,
Ray
1. At What Age Should a Pastor Retire? Ten Diagnostic Questions (Thom Rainer)
(I believe most of these also apply to an Associational Mission Strategist.)
2. What is Biblical Productivity? (Reagan Rose)
3. NAMB RePlant Team Introduces New Resource at Associational Leaders’ Training Lab
(Baptist Press)
4. SBC Digest: Dallas Gearing Up for Crossover; Lifeway Resource Aims to Deepen Discipleship (Baptist Press)
Thank you for reading this blog. I hope it is a help to you.
Please share it - or certain articles - that you believe would bless your Pastors.
To the praise of His glory,
Ray
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