The Law

While checking my Facebook account yesterday I noticed that a young lady from one of my English classes posted that she was sick.  Like most people do, I commented on her status and said that I hoped that she gets to feeling better soon and then I went on with my day as normal. This morning, however, I noticed that she responded back to my comment with something that caught me off guard, "it's not just that I'm physically sick...my heart is sick also." 

I recently came across a verse that stood out to me bodly. It's a verse that I have admittedly read a thousand times over,and understood well; but in this season of my life, the verse spoke to my heart.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV

You see, the "law of Christ" is something that has been on the forefront of my mind lately.  What is it, exactly?  Religious leaders that surround me would lead me to believe that it is the mosaic law, or at least certain parts of it.  I, however, believe something different.  Christ said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40.  All of the law, all of it, not some of it, but ALL of it, is summarized in these two commandments.  It all boils down to one word...love. 

I recently found myself in an intense discussion with a religious leader over some trivial matters of the law. This leader felt that we were still under these laws, and I felt like we were only under the law of love. Ironically, in my quest to show this religous leader that I was right, I missed the whole point of what I was actually preaching myself. I failed to love him.  A journal that I am reading put it this way..."I know I am often tested when I tell the Lord I want His way - not mine.  Usually, these challenges come through relationships.  Someone else gets the glory for something I've done, or some other trivial event.  If I really think that other guy is better than I am, if I genuinely consider her better than myself, well, wouldn't I want that other person to receive the glory?" 

So, what does all this mean to me as a Christian? What does it mean to me as a missionary and ministry leader? I think that it means that in all my busyness of "ministry" I sometimes forget what real ministry is. I sometimes get so busy with daunting administrative tasks and the pressure of crossing things off my "to-do" list that I don't have time to set down with a hurting soul and talk. I often fail to bear others' burdens because I am too busy working for the Lord!

A couple of weeks ago a lost young man came to visit us early one morning. Normally I would have been bothered by his unannounced early morning visit because it would have slowed me down or interrupted my already too-busy day. This day, however, I happened to be free so I asked this young soul if he would like breakfast and I preceded to take the time to whip him up a great breakfast and even put it all together on a pretty plate and serve it complete with a cloth napkin. I then sat down and talked with him while he ate.  This, I later thought, is ministry. It's not my ability to write a great mission statement or to conduct a church leadership meeting well. It's not the color of the church walls, the type of music we listen to, what version of the Bible we use, or my ability to memorize scripture. These things, of course, aren't bad it's just that I lost perspective. 

We have found ourselves in a very reflective season of our ministry. One where we are asking ourselves to really define what our ministry is and to refocus on eternal things instead of bickering about the trivial. A time where we hope to learn what it truly means to love our enemies and, out of love and humility, give up the need to be right.  A time to learn more about what it means to die to ourselves and how to really carry each others' burdens.  I time where I hope to whip up more breakfasts and respond to more youth just the way I did to the hurting young lady on Facebook this morning..."would you like to talk?"