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Love in Response to Love

January 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

We love because he first loved us. -1 John 4:19

Ministry is all about love. We are driven to help students and lead them to the Lord not because we are bored, want a new challenge or want another pat on the back, but because we love. At least, that’s the hope for people doing ministry. It is purely a blessing to know that we even have the ability to love. In our fallen, human capabilities, love is an abstract idea that was created by God. Being image-bearers of God, we have been given this capacity to love on some level as well.

But before we had the ability to love–before any man was ever created–God first loved us. God knew each and every person that he would bring into the earth, and he loved each one the same. This is the kind of love we should strive to show. Love that does not see people’s faults, mess-ups or struggles, but love that sees the image of God in each person.

My reflection today is that I would express God’s love instead of my own. I cannot display love perfectly because I am clearly not perfect, but luckily my God is. I pray that I would be a vessel for love to flow through as I think about and minister to my students today and the rest of this week.

Filed Under: Spriritual Life, Youth Ministry Tagged With: , , ,

Having an inner circle

March 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If we look at Jesus’ earthly ministry, what often comes to mind is the twelve disciples. These guys followed Jesus everywhere for 3 years, from the time he started his ministry until after he ascended into heaven. He taught them things, loved them, and probably most importantly, did life with them.

This kind of discipleship can be compared to how we do small groups in student ministry. We have a small group of students that we teach, love on, and do life with. Something I’ve been wrestling with recently is a piece of Jesus’ discipleship strategy that doesn’t get talked about much.

Within the Twelve, Jesus had an inner circle of 3 guys: Peter, John and James. The Bible doesn’t talk a lot about why these guys were special or chosen by Jesus to be closer to him, but they got to be with him at times when the others didn’t: the transfiguration, the healing of Jairus’s daughter and in the Garden of Gethsamane.

When I look at how I do small groups, I tend to want to spread myself out evenly among all the students in my group. It only seems fair to give everyone a fair shot and not have favorites, but is that really the right thing to do? If we look at Jesus’ example, no, it’s not.

One thing I’m trying differently this year is spending very intentional time discipling one of my guys. I see so much of my 8th grade self in this guy that I was drawn to lead him in a different way until he leaves my group and moves on to high school. Until I reflected on Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, part of me felt guilty for “playing favorites,” but I’m starting to realize that God puts certain students into your care for a specific reason, and there’s no way you can ignore it or not take responsibility.

Question: What’s your take on “playing favorites” or having an “inner circle” in your ministry? Post your thoughts here.

Filed Under: Counseling, Mentoring, Small Groups, Youth Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Are we in love with loving Jesus?

May 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Do we love loving Jesus more than we actually love Jesus himself?

This question popped into my head Tuesday as I was sitting in a lecture on the book of 1 Peter. The speaker referenced an interaction Jesus had with one of his closest disciples, Peter, and he asks Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15) My initial reaction, and maybe yours too, is that Jesus is asking if he loves Jesus above other things, like worldly things, rulers, religious leaders, etc. In reality I think Jesus is asking an entirely different question. To put Jesus’ question in other words, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the other disciples love me?”

This question is completely loaded. If Peter answers that he does, in fact, love Jesus more than the other disciples do, he would have to question his motives for loving Jesus. Does Peter really love Jesus or does he love loving Jesus? Does he desire the recognition that comes with loving Jesus most out of The Twelve more than he desires Jesus?

Compare this to how we do ministry. I’ve seen a few people involved in our ministry at Saddleback Church that probably like the idea of volunteering in youth ministry more than they enjoy doing it. It might make them feel good that they’re serving God in doing this, but does it really honor Him if they’re doing it with a heart in the wrong place? At times, I feel this too. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in youth ministry “success” that I lose track of the ultimate goal – bringing students closer to God.

In Doug Fields’ book Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry, he lists the Ten Commandments of Youth Ministry. One of the commandments is “I will regularly check my motives and evaluate my heart.” This is super important for all leaders involved in youth ministry to remember to avoid the love of loving ministry and not ministry itself.

Are you more in love with loving Jesus or with Jesus himself?

Filed Under: Spriritual Life, Youth Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,