This morning I came across this blog speaking of John Piper’s announcement that he is taking an 8-month leave of absence from ministry, which he announced this weekend at his home church, Bethlehem Baptist Church.  As I watched the video of his announcement, I was stunned.  Not shocked, but stunned by the grace with which Piper is walking out the call on his life, all the while consistently communicating the Gospel.  It should not be a surprise, but Piper’s candor and transparency is such an exception to what we tend to see in this age of the personality-centric church culture.

“As I have stood back in recent months and looked at my own soul—my own sanctification, my own measures self-denial or self-serving—and my marriage and family and ministry patterns, I have felt an increasing need for a serious assessment—a kind of reality check in the light of God’s word. Am I living in the mindset and the pattern of life that Jesus calls for here in Mark 8:31-38, especially in relation to those I love most?

On the one hand, I love my Lord, my wife, my five children and their families first and foremost; and I love my work of preaching and writing and leading Bethlehem. I hope the Lord gives me at least five more years as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem.

But on the other hand, I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me. How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I’ll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I’m sorry. Since I don’t have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins.” – John Piper

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the mark of grace on one’s life.

It is all relative, and I would not even begin to compare my story to John Piper’s, but I can certainly relate to the need to lay things down and walk away from something to reassess your heart, spirit and become more in tune with the things your heart is prone to.  I am in the middle of that very thing right now and Piper’s leave of absence and the grace with which he communicates it have rocked my heart all over again today.

Here is Piper’s blog post about the leave of absence.  You can read a transcript of his entire sermon, “The Son of man Must Suffer Many Things” here, or watch the entire sermon here.

I have seen and heard many “leaders” who would do well to take notes from Piper’s announcement and the posture of humility with which he approaches this particular season of his life.  There are many much less-influential “leaders” looking out for their image, their reputation and their “brand”… but who is stepping back to look at their own soul and how that impacts and affects everything else?  You don’t hear much about that these days.

This is powerful and I am praying for John Piper, his family, his church and all those who will now have an opportunity to see what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ through his obedience and sensitivity to God’s leading in his life.

God, give us the grace the hear You over all the noise, the wisdom to know when it is time to step away and the courage to trust You and actually do it.

Does any of this strike a chord with you?