Transcript
Ben Fallon: Today on “Ask Paul Tripp,” we have a question about gifts and life calling. We would encourage you to send us your questions via email to ask@paultripp.com or online at paultripp.com/ask.
Justin writes in, “I have been encouraged by a seasoned saint and younger brother that I might have a gift in counseling, and I'm trying to find a career for my life. I finished my bachelor's degree in theological studies but I'm not too good at Greek, which has kept me from pursuing seminary. What steps would you say for someone to take who's interested in pursuing biblical counseling?” So, Paul, if you could answer this question and then perhaps speak more broadly about how we can discern our gifts, talents, and what God might be calling us to.
Paul Tripp: Well maybe the best way to answer this question is to talk of my own story. I was part of the planting of a church in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I jokingly say, although it's kind of true, that Scranton is a place where the American Dream died in 1950. And there were a huge amount of counseling issues around me; that depressed community produced struggles in families and struggles in people's walk with God, and people needed more than just preaching. And so, I wanted to be able to counsel them, but I wanted to be able to counsel them in a way that was consistent with my faith because I don't think there's any better diagnostic of the human condition than the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I don't think there's any better cure than what you find in the gospel. And remember, “Effectiveness of cure is always attached to accuracy of the diagnostic.”
And so, I wanted a biblically rich but practical program of training. I found one at Westminster Seminary. I enrolled there and ended up becoming part of the faculty. So, what I would say about this is, “You may want to stick your toe into the counseling world and just see if, in fact, that is an area of continued interest and giftedness.” And one of the programs, I think that is really helpful, is through the Christian Council Educational Foundation. They have an online training program; you can take a course without leaving your house and begin to assess if this is something, “I do have an interest in and I do have some giftedness in?”
Let me talk about gifts. If you would ask me, “How do I discover my gifts?” Well, it's experience, opportunity, passion, training, and recognition. The last one, I think, is really important–it's important that you're not the only one that thinks you have that gift. And the best context for recognition is the body of Christ.
I went to seminary, but the reason I ended up planting a church is because a local church recognized my pastoral gifts and sent me out. And so, searching out your gifts is not something that should be ever done in isolation. It should be done in the community of the body of Christ with lots of wisdom and lots of advice, and the church is a place where you can test your gifts and see, in fact, if you have the gifts that you think you have. And those gifts are for the church; they are for the work of the church. And so, discovering your gifts really is a community project.
So, I would say two things. “I would talk to your pastor or an elder or the elders and begin to invite them into a conversation about this question of whether you, in fact, are gifted to do counseling. And then I would stick my toe in that world and take a course.” And in the midst of this, you are giving an opportunity for God to make your calling clear.
BF: Thanks, Paul. And thanks for listening to “Ask Paul Tripp.” Please share these episodes with others who might be blessed by them and come back every Thursday and Saturday for a new answer from Paul.
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