“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3: 11).
I have a colleague in ministry whose whole life turned around when his wife unexpectedly died after heart surgery. Everything was going fine until, four months later, a complication appeared and she died in her sleep. It was devastating. She was young, healthy, athletic, and filled with promise. It was impossible, but true – his beloved had died and he had to try to make sense out of it all.
After about three months, he discovered some key insights about ministry. It’s not the only thing that he has learned in his quiet moments, but these particular insights impacted my own understanding of ministry. See what you think!
First, he discovered that he must have been more successful in ministry than he thought. Why did he say that? Because his previous churches were anxious to open their doors (and hearts) to have special services in each of their cities – all to pay honor and tribute to his wife.
Second, he has a whole new view of what ministry is all about. Like so many of us in ministry, he was caught up in the belief that a minister has to be “all things to all people – pastor as well as business person, visionary as well as caregiver.” But for my friend, everything stopped with the death of his wife! He had to care for his family, make key decisions quickly, and still find a way to function in his world. Then it hit him: if he was not a success in ministry (because his churches were not the biggest and best), why were all these people (current and previous parishioners) showing him so much love? I love the words he used to communicate his bottom line in ministry, “All we have to do is fall in love with the people.”
When God gave my friend that insight, he was able to put his years of ministry in perspective. He remembered the times he had opened the scriptures for people in his churches. He also remembered the many times he and his wife had opened their home and hearts to the needs of people he genuinely cared about. Now, it was their turn to show him that same love!
I trust you can find value in my friend’s insight. Success is not measured by how many people attend worship, how large a mission budget might be, or how many worship services are held weekly. Rather, the foundation of successful ministry lies in the answer to this simple question: Do you love “your” (God’s) people?
Prayer: Almighty and Loving God, thank you for showing us a love that the world does not understand. Help us as we aim at demonstrating that same kind of love to those we are called to serve. Amen.
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Jim Simon
Pastor
Aurora Hills Baptist Church
Aurora, CO
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