The Weight of the Call: Loving People

I'll be honest with you, family...

I'm one of those people that used to take pride in saying, "I don't like people."

I'm an introvert by nature. I'm not a huge fan of very intense social settings. I don't like going out. I don't like small talk. I don't like parties. I don't like networking events.

I don't like people.

But then there's this thing called "ministry"–a charge set upon all of us to go forth, witness and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost and the broken; people.

"Not liking people" isn't really acceptable when this charge is a part of the promise of your "yes." "Not liking people" isn't really acceptable when this charge is a part of the call on your life. "Not liking people" isn't really acceptable when this charge is a part of GOD's command to love Him and His people.

We're called to love GOD's people (Matthew 22:37-39). That's the command. There are no footnotes. There are no compromises. Loving people is one of GOD's greatest commands, second to loving Him first. 

But how do you love people?

How do you love people when they have betrayed you?

How do you love people when they have lied to you?

How do you love people when they have lied on you?

How do you love people when they have abused you, abandoned you, and forsaken you?

Then what? How do you love those people?

Because it’s easy to love people when they are for you and rooting for you and cheering you on. But when they are in fact the opposite, that’s when that charge–that call, that commandment–gets a little complex.

Transparency moment: I ran from my call to ministry for years for plenty of reasons, but primarily because I knew the root of the call was responsibility to care for people’s hearts. 

The weight of the call to ministry isn’t preaching the Word of GOD.

The weight of the call to ministry isn’t knowing scripture or studying theology.

The weight of the call to ministry isn’t going into unfamiliar nations and witnessing there.

In fact, the weight of the call to ministry is loving people–all people.

About three weeks ago, I left my career in television news and started a new career working full time in ministry. SHOCKER for everyone–including me! But ya know, GOD be signing me up for things I never really think of. I normally say “NO” at first, but then once we talk it out a bit, I’m like, “Well okay, I mean, if this will make You happy, get You to let me sleep at night, annnnnnnnd bring You to the people, then sure, fine! Deal.”

And let me tell ya…

I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE HECK I WAS REALLY SIGNING UP FOR!

The amount of soul work ministry requires...what I mean by that is the amount of humility, the amount of times in a day you will need to hold your tongue (LITERALLY), the amount of times you will have to deny your fist, I mean flesh, from activating its power to destroy someone in just one second...I’m telling you, fam! It’s exhausting at times!

But then I think how exhausting it must be to love the people who spat in your face, beat you until you bled, put you up on a cross, cursed you and left you for dead…(Matthew 27:32-56)

How exhausting it must be to love the people you died for who still deny you…(Titus 1:16)

How exhausting it must be to the GOD of the universe–desire communion with His children who refuse His grace and perfect love, and still take delight in them…(Psalm 149:4)

How exhausting it must be to love them so much that you decide to come in the form of their humanity as the Savior–your son–just to take on their transgressions and sins, once again in an effort to be in communion with your children (John 3:16). 

How exhausting it must be to be GOD–which means it’s inevitable that ministry would be, too. In ministry, we are called to be a reflection of the GOD that we believe in–a mirror of who He is in the earth. Therefore, would not the weight of the Cross be equivalent to the weight of the call to ministry (Luke 9:23)?

So, how do we bear the weight of the Cross and the weight of the call to ministry? Acknowledgement and understanding.

One of the most prevalent characteristics of Jesus was His ability to show compassion for the “commoners.” The Pharisees were always on their high horses and trying to keep their religion to themselves; they were not concerned about the people their religion called for them to serve. They were in fact less concerned with loving people and more concerned with loving themselves. So when Jesus was out healing the little people like you and me, the Pharisees looked down on Him; they dissed Him. But He was unphased by them...because He knew His charge. 

To restore communion and connection between His Father and His people; LOVE.

In John 11:35, we see one of many times throughout Christ’s life where He showed compassion–understanding the pain of others and acknowledging their pain. In the text, we hear about Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, who has died. Lazarus was not only a follower of Jesus, but someone that Jesus knew. Jesus spent time with Lazarus’ family (Luke 10:38-42). This was someone whom He loved and cared deeply about. And as detailed in John 11:35, after learning about the passing of His friend, Jesus wept; He grieved–experiencing sorrow. He not only acknowledged Mary and Martha’s pain; He mourned with them–showing His ability to understand.

That same acknowledgement and understanding is a part of the responsibility we’re given when we take on the call to ministry. And that acknowledgement and understanding is required of me now in this new space, in this new career, in this new season of my life.

Me saying, “I don’t like people” with the heart I said it with was not a reflection of the GOD I say I believe in and proclaim. And as much as I used to take pride in saying that, it seems GOD was slick in His preparation for this new career and job position; coincidentally, my convictions have altered and saying, “I don’t like people” doesn’t seem to have the same ring to it like it used to. (THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL GROWTH, FAM. GROWTH!)

But even with this growth, the truth of the matter is I won’t always like people–neither will you. We will not always like people, we will not always see eye to eye with them, we will not always get it right.

But the charge is still the same.

We are still called to love them, acknowledge them, acknowledge their pain, try to understand their experiences and reason with them.

Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” The charge is clear; the responsibility is evident. 

GOD is not just calling us to ministry.

GOD is not just calling us to our gifts.

GOD is not just calling us to our church.

GOD is not just calling us to our careers.

GOD is calling us to His people–to have communion with them and to LOVE them as He loves us. 

Unconditionally.

Praying with you fam always,

Nic.