A close friend who is a shepherd was talking to a group of preachers during one of our recent preaching retreats. We had asked him to spend some time encouraging the preachers. At the close of his outstanding thoughts, he left us with four crucial reminders. The last reminder on his list was, “make sure you love the people you serve.”
His words brought to memory some advice my father gave me more than forty-five years ago. I asked him for his best advice for young preachers. He responded by saying, “Preach the Word and love the people.” As a college student, that didn’t resonate with me very much. My belief now is that it is the best piece of advice I’ve ever received.
We all have people in our lives who are difficult to love. And if we are honest, we will admit that there are times when we may be the ones who are difficult for others to love. How blessed we are to have been loved by our Father in Heaven, even when we don’t deserve it. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
When we face challenging times and deal with difficult people, it can make us want to give up. We can be tempted to question whether the challenges we face are worth it. If we focus on loving people, it will be easier not to let this temptation overcome us. Even as Jesus was being crucified, He prayed for those who were guilty of putting Him to death.
May God help us to be thankful for His love for us, and may we live every day loving the people we serve.
