"Do you Love Me?"
For my final ministry class at Milligan we were asked to writer a letter to our future ministry self and read them in front of the class for our final. I was blessed to hear others' letters and thought I would share mine. Here it is. (Fredro is a name my dad calls me and has since I was little)
Fredro,
Do remember that question Jesus asked Peter on the beach? The question he had for all ministers of the gospel: "Do you love me?" This is the question that pastoral ministry, all ministry, hinges on. Have you heard him ask it in a while? Are you loving him? Have you loved him in all you do? Do you love him ? Of course you do. But not perfectly. And that’s alright, you never will. He just asks if you love him at all, what grace there is in that. "So you do? Then feed my sheep..Take care of my sheep." The question that all ministry hinges on leads to our "job" in ministry, to feed and care for his sheep. You’re a shepherd first, Zach, charged with feeding and caring for the flock Christ has entrusted you with.
A shepherd. That’s a dirty job. You aren’t called to fame and fortune, glitz and glamour, or even relevance or success. That’s not what shepherds do. Shepherds take of sheep. They take care of messes, they’re covered in the filth and grime of their flock. That is what you are called to. Not to sit in an ivory tower doing theology, but walking in the dark streets where your sheep live, living out your theology. You once knew ministry wasn’t about you, do you still know this? More so, are you living like it? Probably not. That’s ok, Christ is a gracious Lord, now repent and obey. Ministry is about Jesus, Zach, not you. After him, it’s about his sheep, not you. Even after them it’s about the lost, not you. And after them someone else. You are last. This is is why it’s vital to always ask yourself, do you love him. Because if you love yourself you won’t only be living in sin, but you will also fail to feed his sheep. And don’t forget your family. Don’t neglect your wife for Christ’s. Don’t forget your children for God’s. You are called to love and shepherd them first and foremost. Never forget that.
The only place you are involved in this at all is whether or not you love him. If you do, care for his people. Know them. Love them. Preach good news to them from the pulpit and from the coffee table. Bring hope into hospital rooms. Carry light into darkness. Kneel beside crippled sheep, bind their wounds. Better yet, point them to the one that can. Never point them to yourself, you can’t handle their gaze. It will break you and break them. They need to look upon someone who can handle the weight of their hope, their pain, their fear. That person is not you. It’s Jesus. This is what it means to be gospel centered: focus on Jesus in all things, point people to Jesus in all things, love Jesus in all things. Like Paul reminded Timothy I remind you: "Remember Jesus Christ as preached in my gospel." "Do you love him? Do you remember that he loves you?" These questions should concern you above all else. That new program, the job offer, where you live, whatever it may be, are you loving Jesus in it? If yes, "then feed my sheep."
This is what Jesus sees as successful ministry. Not numbers. Not even baptisms or conversions. Successful ministry is loving Jesus and caring for his sheep. Are you doing this? Concern yourself again with this. It’s really all you have the power to do. Leave the rest up to Jesus. The call of ministry isn’t a call to success, it’s a call to obedience. Faithful, humble, imperfect obedience. Never forget that. He’s always asking and you must always answer: "Do you love me?"
Zach, 21 years, 2015