There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4: 18-19 (ESV)
Scripture: 1 John 4: 7-21
We like to think we know what love is. But do we really, even those of us in a loving relationship? First John 4: 7 says, “love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (ESV). If God’s ways are not our ways (Isa. 55: 8) and God’s way is love, can we truly understand it? How can we apply it to ministry? This devotion looks at love as it pertains to ministry.
Paul gave a good description in 1 Corinthians 13 to help us know what love is. We generally think of this as romantic love. But if you look at the context, he is saying that love should be the foundation of ministry. Chapter 12 spoke about spiritual gifts. Chapter 14 picked up the theme as if it wasn’t interrupted.
At the end of Chapter 12, Paul admonished the Corinthians that there was something even better than spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12: 31). He was talking about love. They really do go hand in hand.
Ministry done without love produces fewer lasting results. If we just consider love a feeling, though, that doesn’t get us anywhere, either. Love has to have some action to make itself known.
Generally, when we love others, we want to do things for them. We have a desire to improve circumstances or increase service to others. When it is based on our love for them, they feel it. It comes out of the inside part of us to be visible in the world.
Love-based ministry has to come from our desire to serve God. His love and His guidance has to infiltrate everything we say and do. That will get us closer to His ways.
I think that is really important to remember these days. Many of Christ’s followers are under attack because the world sees them as not being loving. Rather, the world sees them as being judgmental.
Some believe that, because their actions are considered sins in the Bible, those who follow Christ hate them. Disagreeing with their lifestyles, to me, does not automatically mean that Christians hate them. I think, though, that the reverse is true. I think in reality, they are saying — in some cases — they hate Christians because they disagree with our lifestyle.
We need to be in prayer about how God wants us to react in certain situations. It may almost feel like we are walking a fine line. We need to make sure we walk that line the way God wants us to walk it.
When we face opposition in our ministry — especially questions about why we are ministering to others — it is easy to get discouraged. This is especially so if the ministry is not based on love. We need to make sure of our motivations.
Sometimes, we do ministry for the wrong reasons. We do things, not in love, but because we are envious, boastful, or arrogant. We are looking for the recognition, instead of looking to further God’s kingdom.
However, fear can sometimes be a big part of ministry. We just see our inadequacies, our past mistakes, and our humanness. We don’t apply the attributes of love to ourselves. We definitely are not patient with ourselves. Sometimes, we don’t believe in ourselves. Aren’t we our own worst critics at times?
We have to remember that God uses broken people to further His kingdom. John 12: 24 says, “… unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (ESV). He wants to use us and will equip us to do what He has planned. We may have the hope, but we have to make sure we have the endurance to stick it out.
The flip side of no fear in love is also interesting. First John 4: 8 says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (ESV). It appears to be saying, if someone doesn’t love at all, that person isn’t a child of God. We need to be really careful in making judgments on the salvation of another.
Let’s look at it this way. Verse 18 of that chapter says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 Jn. 4: 18, ESV). When we are afraid and write a script that focuses on our fears, it is hard to love. When we put our trust in God to erase our fears, love will flow out from us.
Our ministry must have a foundation of love. We need to love as God loves.
Precious Father. You are love. We are so unworthy of Your love, but You sent Jesus to earth to restore our relationship to You. We acknowledge that we see You restoring our relationship, while others see our adherence to Your guidelines. Help us as we try to serve others in a way to serve You. May they just see You and Your merciful love. Amen.
What do you think? What are some of the biggest fears we face in ministry? How can we use love to combat them? Leave me a comment below on this (or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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