A Call to Love: The Greatest Ministry

Over this past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend New Life Church of Jesus Christ’s Ladies Retreat. The 3-day getaway was set in Asheboro, NC on a campus surrounded by beautiful forestry, hiking trails, and several scenic spots for relaxation. It was in this environment that I was able to see the beautiful fellowship between the women at this conference. Ladies from various backgrounds, upbringings, and ethnicities were encouraging each other, giving their testimonies, and simply loving one another.

So it was, that in my observation, I was constantly pricked by the sentence: A call to Love.

What is Love?

Growing up, love had always been a vague idea rather than a concrete concept. Sometimes it was the emotions I got from watching the classic Disney films. Other times it was a need to be protected. And many times, it was the validation and approval of others. I could write a book on all of the beliefs I had about love, because they evolved with my experiences. So, when I sat with this thought, “a call to love” I first had to learn what love was.

And the truth is, I still don’t know. The bible defines love as God.

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

1 John 4:8 NKJV

Thus, the more that I tried to find a concrete definition of love the more I realized the impossibility of my task. Who can define God?!

However, as I studied, there were two lessons I was able to learn: The ministry of love and the action of love.

Love: The Highest Ministry

Whether intentionally or accidentally, I have seen how the church has elevated, and almost idolized positional ministry. It was always funny to see the personality shift of those who acquired another title within the church ministry. How their attitudes changed once they went from sitting in the congregation to being a regular amongst the table of the elite within the church hierarchy. I remember watching one particular member change their introduction to include their new title, whether they were inside or outside the church!

Worship leader, bishop, elder, youth pastor, etc., these titles can merge with the identity of an individual, which in turn, can affect how they see others without positional status symbols. Yet, the congregation often follows this structure, subsequently changing how they address their leadership, not out of respect, but often out of an innate belief that these titles equate to spiritual superiority.

But is this social structure biblical?

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

According to 1 Corinthians 13, the work of the Lord is nothing without love. And if God is love then, simply put, anything without love is without God; and anything without God is of the enemy.

Now, I hope that my intentions are clear: I do not hate ministry, nor do I disapprove of titles. What I hate is these things being elevated above their purpose. The purpose of ministry is to love, serve, and grow God’s people and those who may seek to be a part of Christ’s body. Ministry is beautiful! God ordained that we all be ministers wherever we are and, furthermore, the corporate structure of ministry is beneficial in that it brings order to what could easily turn into chaos (just study the early church).

However, these ministries do not trump the call to love. In fact, I would consider love a ministry of its own.

In addition, It is my belief that love is the highest ministry that should be interwoven into every position and lifestyle within the body of Christ! Everything that is without love, according to Corinthians 13, is nothing. That is why I love the ministry of love. You don’t need a PhD in theology or a pastoral legacy to engage in this ministry. You just need to love God and know God.

But what are the instructions to participate in such a great ministry? The answer is simple.

Love in Action

Love is not stagnant, but rather, it is always doing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NKJV

In this text, we see that love was always followed by an action of some kind. It repeatedly speaks of what love does or does not do.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

John 15:13

Once again, one of the greatest forms of love is an action.

A call to love, is a call to action, but with the heart of God. This is what separates empty workings from love. Love is action done through the Holy Spirit. Anything apart from this is not biblical ministry nor is it love.

That is not to say that if love is an action, the more that we do, the greater we love. Going back to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, despite the diverse efforts done by the writer, he noted that without love, it all meant nothing.

This is what I have come to understand: actions do not equal love. However, love is always displayed through action.

Our Response

Love is the believer’s highest calling. We should not strive for titles and positions but to obey the greatest commandment: to love God and to love our neighbor. Regardless of your position, education, background, or race, if you are a child of God, you are called to love. Let all that we do be done with this mindset. As Paul wrote: “Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)