All it takes, Love to serve
All it takes, Love to serve
In my initial days of being in the ministry even though there was passion and fire, something was missing, and I was confused as I didn’t know what was missing. I was enjoying life as I always imagined being busy serving GOD and what I meant was actually serving people. Serving through the Word, prayer and counselling. But eventually by the end of the day I started feeling drained and empty. I used to blame myself that I was not doing wholeheartedly what I was supposed to do. Deep down in my heart I was getting worried about being burnt out. But finally with GOD’s grace I found the truth. And the truth is…
‘I cannot fill somebody else’s cup while my cup is empty’
JESUS asked them a question – have you caught any fish? Often GOD will ask us something not because HE doesn’t know the answer but because HE wants to draw our attention to the truth. And if we are listening then HE will give us the directions. Directions where we will find our breakthrough and our answers to life’s difficult questions. JESUS served them with barbecued fish and bread. JESUS loved HIS disciples and so HE did perform miracles. JESUS saw that they worked all through the night and they were tired. While it was important to accomplish the mission and the schedule was tight as HE had a lot to speak with them and was to charge them with the great commission, HE first served them. Cared for them. Loved them.
You and I need to first drink from HIS love every day. HIS love is our strength. We need to develop the habit to love ourselves, our family and our people from JESUS’ perspective and not our own. Because human love is very limited and conditional but His love is huge and unconditional. Then we will not be burnt out but will keep burning with divine fire.
So I believe before charging Peter with a great responsibility HE asked Peter- “Do you love me?” Thrice. Again – not because JESUS did not know the answer but because JESUS wanted to draw his attention to a very important point. It takes love to feed sheep. Not passion, not fire, not strategies and planning but Love for JESUS. Peter then was transformed with the love of CHRIST when he was filled with the Spirit. A few years ago a Man of GOD asked me a question- Swapnil, are you doing the ministry because you love GOD or do you do it to feed your own ego?
Let’s ask ourselves a question, why do we do what we do?
Blessings,
Swapnil…
