鈥淚f you could go back in time to when you were in your 30s, is there anything you would do differently with the wisdom you have now?鈥 This question-from-the-floor was addressed to Tim Keller and Sinclair Ferguson (moderated by Peter Lillback) at a . It was one of a dozen or so probing and provocative questions raised during that fruitful two hour session.

So, what would these two men have done differently in their lives and ministries if they could go back and do a re-set in their 30s?

Keller (54:50 into the session): I鈥檝e already in a sense given my answer鈥攊t鈥檚 that I certainly underestimated the importance of prayer and self-examination鈥攖hat would be mine.

What was Keller referring to? To find out, we have to rewind about 25 minutes in the Q&A time to hear what he said about prayer. Here鈥檚 what he said:

Keller (31:58 into the session): I would say that the main temptation is to underestimate the importance of prayer. And I don鈥檛 just mean time in prayer. Prayer and mortification. Sinclair knows certainly about [looks at Sinclair Ferguson] 鈥 maybe you do 鈥 there was a certain very prominent Scottish minister a couple years ago who was found out to have been living a double life. And he did leave some suicide notes. There was one鈥攎aybe I shouldn鈥檛 know what鈥檚 in it because it hasn鈥檛 been made public鈥攂ut there鈥檚 one place where he said, 鈥淚鈥檝e been preaching many years without praying.鈥 Now, if that doesn鈥檛 put the fear of God in you, I don鈥檛 know what will.

In summary, Tim Keller says that he would have spent more time in prayer and self-examination. (BTW, "mortification鈥 is an old word for 鈥減utting to death the deeds of the body鈥 in Romans 8:13.)

What about Sinclair Ferguson鈥檚 answer to the same question? What would he have done differently if he could go back and make some adjustments in his 30s?

Ferguson (56:35 into the session): So, if I have something to go back and say to Sinclair Ferguson in his twenties, I think it would be that鈥攊f I were to have three score years and ten鈥擨 actually should number my days from now on, in terms of the general disciplines of my growth in understanding the gospel. I don鈥檛 think there is any point in having regrets about these things, but I鈥檝e been more haphazard than I really should have been in those things, and 鈥 the people I admire鈥攐ne of the things I鈥檝e noticed, you know, when they die, they find the orderliness of their intercession. And, that to me is the sheer busyness, and the expected busyness of pastoral ministry in the modern church actually needs you to make very deliberate, concrete decisions about not just how you鈥檙e going to spend today, but, under the providence of God, the whole of your life. I am just often struck by Paul saying to Timothy, 鈥淢ake sure that everyone sees your progress.鈥 And I sometimes think: I wonder how many of my friends in the ministry have ever had anyone in the congregation saying to them鈥攖hey may say lots of things to them 鈥 but鈥斺淧astor, I鈥檝e really seen that you have grown in these.鈥 And growth in the spiritual life doesn鈥檛 happen accidentally.

In Summary: Sinclair Ferguson would have concentrated more on disciplining himself to understand the gospel and grow in the spiritual life.

These answers come from two men who have in fact committed themselves to prayer and growth in holiness throughout their lives. So if they鈥檙e telling us that they would have concentrated more on these things, I think we should take it to heart.


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