I once asked an experienced pastor, “What advice would you give a novice pastor about how to establish a church?”
Your answer: “Before you do anything else, make sure your people know you love them. “
- Sometimes.
- To understand what it means to love our people.
- We have to understand what it doesn’t mean.
- It’s not always about telling them what they want to hear.
- Or being a flatterer with people.
- Or even trying to make them love in coming back.
- No matter what it takes to get there.
In fact, loving our people is none of our business. Rather, loving your people means showing them how dear they are to you by feeding them with goodness and sacrifices of the food of the gospel, both for their eternal good and for the glory of God. Considering Paul’s analogy in 1 Thessaloniki 2, does that mean seeking his good at your expense, his fulfillment above your recognition, as a mother. You love them because they are dear to you, for God has entrusted them to you.
So from day one I tried to make it my target, but most of the time I failed miserably. But, by the grace of God, I also saw fruit.
In the early days of our church, I struggled to make sure that I loved my people and that they knew that this meant at least four things:
My city is diverse and there are not many options for the church, which means that a variety of people come to us. There were times when people came and disagreed with a variety of practical and/or doctrinal tertiary points, but they stayed and listened because they felt deeply loved.
When people are convinced that they are loved, they are much more prepared to receive a reprimand. On the other hand, I have also experienced what happens when the foundation of love is not established to face sin in the future, the difference is surprising.
My church is very culturally diverse, caring for people through simple and consistent sacrifices means that many cultural barriers, such as customs related to hospitality and liturgical structures, are overcome over time. We had people from different countries who had difficulties with problems like ours. music or our style of preaching, but they stayed because they felt guided by pastors who really loved them.
Laying the foundations of love meant a great lot of patience with my own immaturity and my failures as a shepherd. And we shepherds, as fellow sinners, really need this. Our people need context to understand our shortcomings, do they need to know that we are?imperfect and that we trust in Christ as our only hope, just as we urge Him to do so.
Again, before we can show our people that we love them, we really need to love them. And if we’re honest, it can be difficult, and it doesn’t always happen automatically.
So how do we look for him? Some ideas
Get into the habit of praying every day: “Lord, help me love you more, my family and your people. “Have a habit of praying for each person by name, as well as praying for all members.
1 John and Ephesians 5 show us the source of our love for our people: a deep knowledge of God’s love expressed in Christ’s death for us; The source of our love for our people must be the gospel; otherwise we will be inconstantious and our love will be directed towards the wrong ends.
Love is cultivated through communion. To move from love as an idea to love as reality, you have to cultivate a relationship.
Finally, how do we communicate love to our people? First of all, how can we make sure they know we love them?
Like Paul and the Thessalonikis, it must be clear that we not only preach to them, but also share our lives with them.
Hospitality increases and shows our love for them. It is important to set a schedule of pastoral visits and ask questions that prove that they are important, is it in this context that small things become relevant?Do you remember birthdays, you know the difficulties and diseases, you enjoy the things they like?similar to how a mother would do to her child.
During these times, share with them the truth of the scriptures and the kind encouragement and warnings that relate to your current concerns in life, or just listen to them speak. Notice what concerns you, what you rejoice in, and remember that as you pray for them.
When these first difficult words come to you, and will they come to you?Listen to them with peace of mind rooted in your position in Christ. Don’t respond immediately to criticism; instead, listen to people and be very, very quick to admit their own mistakes. Know that God also uses criticism for his sanctification.
All the reviews I heard offered something I needed to hear: it is in these difficult times that your love for them can become more visible and transformative.
Pastoral ministry can be intimidating. A lot of times we worry, but we don’t know what to say. Fortunately, whatever the situation, we can always pray. Sincere prayer with your people is perhaps the most powerful tool for expressing your love, as you direct it to those who love you perfectly.
He will show his love for his people through careful preaching, enlightened by relationships and fully evangelical. If it proves to them outside the pulpit that cares about them, then their ministry of display will flourish in the context of the relationship. And it’s powerful. When they listen to you and see you preach, do they see a man engaged in a labor of love?
As we observe Jesus’ words to Peter after the Resurrection, we remember that the way we express our love for our Savior depends on our love for his people, so that when they lay the foundation for a new plantation or revitalization, there is really no better advice than this: “Before you do anything else, make sure your people know that you love them. “
Like Peter, who recently experienced the love of his Master, let Christ’s love control us in such a way that we consider people under our responsibility in a special way. May we love them as members of the Savior’s body that we love and love you, we will love you.