Hints and helps in pastoral theology by William S Plumer (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 11 (Various suggestions).
This week Plumer provides a mixture of short suggestions on matters concerning the ministry.
Topics include:
(i) preaching;
(ii) church members;
(iii) criticisms;
(iv) letter writing;
(v) personal character;
(vi) personal finance;
(vii) plagiarism;
(viii) personal health;
(ix) new theology.
I liked this suggestion best: 'Be not distressed if every thing does not grow up around you as if by magic. " Soon ripe, soon rotten," is a proverb of great weight in our language. The very speed with which Jacob presented the savory meat to his father awakened suspicion respecting his person and veracity. The winter season strips the trees of their foliage, but adds strength to their trunks and branches. When you see a raw recruit in the Christian army full of himself, and puffed up with ideas of his rapid growth, you may well be alarmed and fear he will not endure. A gourd wound itself around a lofty palm, and in a few weeks climbed to its very top. " How old mayest thou be? " asked the gourd. "About a hundred years," was the reply. "A hundred years ! and no taller ! Only look, I have grown as tall as you in less than a hundred days,'' said the gourd. The palm replied, " I know that well. Every summer of my life a gourd has climbed up my body and spread over my branches, as proud as thou art, and as short-lived as thou shalt be." Although gourds grow fast, they are but gourds still. Yet if they did not grow fast, they would not be gourds at all. Let not the modest, humble man, who makes progress in knowledge and usefulness, be cast into sadness and despondency by the ado of noisy boasters,who know not what they are nor what they say. " He giveth grace to the humble ; but the full soul he sendeth empty away." Lie low. Beware of pride. Trust to God. Look to Jesus. '
Great advice.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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