The key to the Christian life is knowing the love of God at work in our hearts. Mastering academic theology is no substitute for this, but then neither is preaching the gospel. These things are good and right in their proper place, but if they are not subjected to a higher spiritual discipline, they are likely to lead us astray as they are to build others up in their faith. The Apostle Paul made this point when he compared himself to an athlete:
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:25-27).
Paul lived in a world where things moved at a slow paced and distractions were limited. When he forced to winter in some port or other, he had months of leisure time on his hands and could reflect deeply on the things of God. Today, we live in a different world. Even when we go away for a few days, we are seldom far from a telephone or a computer. People expect us to stay in touch and be ready to respond to their request more or less instantly. Preachers and teachers are under particular pressure, because they are constantly expected to be giving out and do not always have the time they need to refresh themselves. Forced to give an answer every question, they can easily fall into the trap of giving a standard answer, when they have no time to reflect on it or put it into practice in their own lives. Getting ahead of oneself in this way is an occupational hazard of Christian ministry, and those engaged in it have a special duty to protect themselves by making an extra effort to put God first in their lives.
Gerald Bray, God is Love: A Biblical and Systematic Theology
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