Is It Really Okay To Not Be Okay?

I love reading Tullian Tchividjian, and Wednesday's post is a case in point:

The gospel liberates us to be okay with not being okay. We know we’re not—though we try very hard to convince ourselves and other people we are. But the gospel tells us, “Relax, it is finished.”

Because of the gospel, we have nothing to prove or protect. We can stop pretending. We can take off our masks and be real. The gospel frees us from trying to impress people, appease people, measure up for people, or prove ourselves to people. The gospel frees us from the burden of trying to control what other people think about us. It frees us from the miserable, unquenchable pursuit to make something of ourselves by using others.

Read the whole post. It's worth it.

Here's my problem: I believe what Tullian writes, but I'm not seeing it. One of our greatest challenges is to model this way of living as pastors and leaders. All around me I see pastors and authors who admit their struggles after they've resolved them. I still don't see a lot of people who are okay with not being okay. I suppose we're okay with weakness as a theory, but we're not so comfortable with weakness as a way of life.

Where are the examples of pastors and authors who are honest about their current struggles and weaknesses?

Am I off here? How can we live what Tullian writes so that it's more than a theory?

Comments

[shu]

I agree. I find as a pastor myself it's hard to model weakness in that regard. like I'm glad someone like piper admitted that he needed to work on his marriage during his sabbatical and what not, but ya, I don't think evangelical confessionalism makes it past the "private world". also, for a pastor/elder, to be "above reproach" SEEMS to not give room for leader to admit their weaknesses... just my opinion?

[Trish]

I agree, although there is an unhealthy and idolatrous "messy Christianity " emphasis that glorifies messiness and leaves it at that, except for pushing back calls for biblical correction and change.