Integrity, Worldliness, and a Heart for the Work

November 3, 2009 – 8:47 pm

From Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry, which I read every year with the guys in the Pastoral Leadership class at DBTS:

The direct violation of Christian integrity has a necessary tendency to enfeeble exertion, by diverting our mind from that main object, which should be always directing our whole time and energies, and compared with which every other object is utterly unimportant–the edification and salvation of our people.

The voice of conscience and duty speaks with a weaker tone in a worldly atmosphere. The habits of self-indulgence are strengthened, and the exercises of self-denial proportionably diminished in frequency and effectiveness. Thus, as the heart is more in the world, it is less in our work; our dutuies are consequently performed with reluctance, and unproductive in their results. (125-126)

Having our heart in the world will absolutely kill the heart of our mission!