No one can log thirty years in the ministry without learning a few important lessons. In the acquiring of knowledge, I frequently have been made aware of how little I know. I have learned that life is short and that I should not have confidence in the flesh. I have learned firsthand the faithfulness of God and the value of friends. I know, after these many years of trials, that offenses occur and the tests of life, though painful, can be joyful experiences for those who are properly prepared.
Most believers find it difficult to be balanced.
We are a constant paradox. We are to be soldiers and servants, leaders and followers, tough and tender, and bearers of truth in love. The older I get, the more I like the path smooth and opposition to my work minimal or nonexistent. I sometimes wonder if David would have fought Goliath when he was fifty years old. I have found that peace has a price and that Biblically initiated conflict is often necessary.