A foundational piece for staying fit in ministry and fit for ministry is understanding the inseparable connection between knowing yourself and knowing Christ. It is not easy to accurately know yourself. The eyes of the soul are like the eyes in your head, they see everything but themselves. Others see things in us that we are blind to. When those blind spots are pointed out we usually get defensive. God sees all our blind spots and graciously points them out. We even get offended at God expressing his love this way because he uncovers things we do not see and do not like. But he only points them out to open greater avenues for us to receive his grace.

John Newton expressed it well when he wrote to a friend about his own walk with Jesus. “In one sense every new day is filed up with new things, new mercies on the Lord’s part, new ingratitude on mine; instances of the vileness of my nature, and new proofs of the power of sovereign pardoning grace; new hills of difficulty, new valleys of humiliation; and now and then (though alas! very short and seldom), new glimpses of what I would be, and where I would be. The everlasting love of God, the unspeakable merits of Christ’s righteousness, and the absolute freeness of the gospel promises, these form the threefold cord by which my soul maintains a hold of that which is within the veil.”