Gospel care is essentially a ministry of love. And love, if it truly seeks the best for the other person, is not applied arbitrarily but wisely and carefully.
As David Powlison wrote, “Wise counseling [or any form of gospel care] is essentially a way of loving another person well. It is a way of speaking what is true and constructive into this person’s life right now. Good [personal ministry] is essentially wise love in action.” (David Powlison, SPeaking the Truth in Love, 5-6).
I love that phrase “wise love in action.” I’m not sure there’s a more concise or accurate description of gospel care. And as we see from these proverbs, wise love is love that seeks and acquires knowledge. Wise love begins with knowing a person.
It must also be said that knowing a person is different from knowing about a person or about their problem. We’re often content to learn some basic facts about a person or about their situation without taking the time to truly know the person as a unique, image-bearing individual. This is a clear indication that we’re more captivated by the problem than we are by the person.
And while that might be all
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