The Ministry of Love

Being on the church scene since I was born means I've seen many forms of ministry. As a child I attended Awana. As a youth I attended youth rallys, mission trips, and sang in the youth choir. As an adult I have taught Sunday school, worked in the nursery, attended women's conferences, sang in the choir, delivered meals to the sick, worked in VBS, made meals on Wednesday nights.....you get the point. This journey, though, over the last 9 mos has completely changed how I see ministry. After 18 years of church ministry, I am starting to see the big picture, the proverbial "forest for the trees". As our hearts become securely connected to His heart, we start to see things with "spiritual eyes". Looking at ministry with spiritual eyes we don't just see "work" that needs to be done for the Lord, but we see "hearts" that need love.

The most profound thing that I have learned and absorbed is this truth, " All kingdom issues are heart issues". The heart, spiritually speaking, can be pretty sick. Our battle with sin has wounded and scarred our hearts. These wounds and scars are so significant that they can even show up in our physical bodies. The cross on which our beautiful savior died was not only meant to bring salvation to man, but also healing- spiritually, physically, and mentally. The literal blood sacrifice paid the ultimate price for our sin and forever settled our debt. The love behind the sacrifice is what brings healing and restoration to our hearts. That love is the same love that Jesus showed in his ministry. The more I read the Gospels describing Jesus' ministry, the more I am amazed at the message of love. I see his ministry as a ministry of love. I believe we are all called to a Christ-like ministry of love. As we become Christ-like, restored, healed, sanctified, our ministry also becomes more Christ-like.

The Father gave me this verse very shortly after I began my journey of restoration/healing: Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 5:2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

I began to think about all that Christ had to bear because of his love for me. The tremendous burden and weight of my sin was all on him. Yet, he humbly with patience and gentleness poured out his life as a sacrifice for me. That is the ministry we are called to do as believers.

As I look around me I see so many people hurting and struggling. People who feel hopeless, rejected, angry, and scared. They are shrouded in darkness. But the love of Christ that is within us as believers brings light, revelation, joy, hope, and healing. The power of Christ's love made the lame to walk, the blind to see, cast out demon spirits, and raised the dead. We have that same power of love within us. The Father has called us to carry this love along with its power to change lives to the world. Walking this truth out in our lives is challenging. The enemy will come against us and against a ministry of love.

That is why a secure connection to the Father's heart is so important. See, I get it now. I had to allow His love to truly change my heart. I had to experience the restoration and healing in my own heart first. This connection to the heart of the Father is like air to me now. I feel lifeless without it. It is so important to protect and guard our hearts and our connection with Him. This allows His love to flow freely through us. If the enemy can destroy our connection with the Father, our ministry of love is compromised.

But He that is in us is greater than he that is in this world. AMEN!

I had an opportunity to attend worship at Bethel Atlanta back in August. There was a worship song they sang that I absolutely loved. I pulled out my trusty Droid and quickly put the words to the chorus on my notepad before they left my head. These are the words.

"In death, in life, I'm confident and covered by the power of your great love. Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me."

Let us together, securely connected to the Father, carry His light and love to the world.



John 15:17 This is my command: Love each other.

Romans 12:9-10 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.

1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

1 John 4:7 Dear firends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God AND knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.