For most people the meaning of love is to have strong and positive feelings for someone. And regardless of whatever truth there is in that...love manifested in ministry is not...and cannot be...based in feelings.
Just consider that all of Jesus' emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane were negative (Mt 26:37ff).
He was sorrowful unto death...
he was lonely because his companions fell asleep on him...
he was terrified of the impending crucifixion and prayed three times to be delivered from this redemptive act of love.
And on the cross...feeling abandoned by his Father...Jesus continued his ministry and performed a loving religious action toward one of the thieves crucified next to him (Lk 23:39ff)
Mother Theresa of Calcutta's faith was sorely tried. Her journal shows that she went through a period of doubting even the existence of God. It would take great faith for her to believe her work was worthwhile and had a purpose. And so, she continued her loving actions in the world with few consolations from God...whose existence for a while she doubted.
And so the meaning of love in ministry is based in a decision to carry out religious actions that bring both minister and people closer to God...whether the minister is full of joy and filled with the Spirit...or whether the minister feels lonely and abandoned...like Jesus did...or whether the minister has a crisis of faith like Mother Theresa had.
Defining ministry properly and the meaning love has in ministry...and how it is manifested...is necessary to prevent boundary problems that occur when ministers are having emotional and spiritual down times as they work in the vineyard.
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