Sharing Our Lives

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 2:5-9: ⁵You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. ⁶We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, ⁷but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. ⁸We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. ⁹Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

Reflection: One of the crucial aspects of pastoral ministry is that I let myself love the people I serve. As we read here, I not only share the gospel, I share my life as well. I don’t know any other way to do ministry.

There are certainly risks involved, just as there are risks in any relationship. One of the difficult parts of this comes when people die. I’ve been at Bethel long enough that, when I officiate at a funeral, most often it’s a service for a friend.

At the same time, that’s also part of the great reward. It’s a privilege to walk with someone through the final days of life on this earth, all the while knowing it’s not the end of life. The joy of loving far outweighs the pain of grieving. The promise of eternal life casts everything here in the bright light of Christ – reminding us all that much of what we fuss about are trivial matters.

So we continue – sharing the gospel, sharing our lives, sharing our hope. For we know whatever happens today, we will live tomorrow in Christ.