Category Archives: Blog

Puddle of Love

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“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Love is a word that is thrown around a lot.  I love my girlfriend.  I love that sweater.  I love strawberry ice cream.

It’s hard to figure out what love is sometimes.  Honestly, I’m still trying to get a grasp on it.  While it’s most often used to describe something that one feels, I’m not so sure that encapsulates the full meaning.  Yet, it’s not exactly easy to define.

As I look at Jesus’ words, however, I see that love for him manifests itself not necessarily in a feeling.  While there probably will be emotion at least a good portion of the time, Jesus says that a better test of our love for him is our obedience to his words.

At first thought, this is scary for me.  When I read the words of Jesus, I see so many areas where I fall short.

Love your neighbor as yourself?  I struggled with doing a simple favor for my roommate this morning.

Do not worry?  Take a look at my chewed fingernails.

Do not lust after a woman in your heart?  Lord knows how many times I’ve failed in that.

Still more could be said.  If love is demonstrated by obedience, it looks like I’m sorely lacking.

However, if I’m realistic, I do obey some of Jesus’ commands.  Yes, there are mixed motives and imperfections even in my obedience.  Even when I do serve my roommate there are selfish tendencies.  But, there is some good.  Although it’s not as overwhelming as I would like it to be, there is evidence of transformation and obedience.  There is love.

If it could be described by quantity, my love might be viewed as a mere puddle compared to God’s vast and unending ocean.  I fall so short.  Yet, why would I expect anything different?  In his book, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller offers some good insight:

“We dream of Christ’s love for His bride reading like Romeo and Juliet; two equals enflamed in liberal love.  I think it is more like Lucentio’s pursuit of Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew.  That is, the groom endearing the belligerent bride with kindness, patience, and love.”

My love will never match God’s love; his will always be greater than mine.  I will never serve my roommate with fully unselfish motives.  I may never be fully free from worry.  The battle against lust could continue until I die.  I will never be perfect until I’m with God in heaven.

Yet, he still readily pursues and accepts me.  He sent Jesus to pay for my sin and brokenness, and he has provided his Spirit to make me more like Christ.  His love never ends, despite my imperfection.

It is in this grace that I rest.

Ministry as an Introvert

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As a missionary, and simply as a person, I’m constantly interacting with people. And I really, really like people.  However, I’m also an introvert. As I do ministry, I’m constantly discovering how to make an impact in people’s lives given how God wired me.  I have to be content, and even take joy, in who God made me, and strategically work with that in mind.

Someone I know posted an article called, “10 Myths About Introverts” that sheds a lot of light on who I am as a person.  As I read, I found myself constantly nodding in agreement.  Yes, I’m definitely an introvert.

As I interact with students and people in general, the truth in the article is something I can keep in mind.  It might help me be more strategic in the way that I invest my time, and thus help me work out of my strengths, helping me make the most impact in the lives of others.

Here are a few things I’ve thought of for my sphere of interaction:

  • Large group settings, like weekly meetings, tend to drain me.  There are so many people and so much background noise before and after the meeting.  In the middle of that, however, I can try to find individual students to talk to instead of large groups.  What about that new student who seems like he’s all alone and looking for someone to talk to?  What about that student who I don’t normally see throughout the week but still want to invest in within some capacity?  What about that student that I want to invite with me to come on a summer project?
  • I like to teach.  Being able to hunker down in a coffee shop in order to gain understanding of a passage, concept, or method with the intention of communicating it to others is fun for me.  It’s a perfect way for me to balance time to myself and time with others.  Additionally, I find that the time I spend with others is more effective when I’ve had this time to myself.
  • After a few hours of consistent interaction with others, I’m mentally exhausted.  If I pack my schedule with appointment after appointment but don’t put any breaks in between, I’ll wear myself out pretty quickly.  15 minute chunks between appointments are pretty key for me, in addition to extended times where I’m doing work on my own.  I need to make sure that I find a quiet place where my mind can recharge during these times.  Whether I’m full of life at the end of the day or toast, wanting to hunker down in my room away from anybody and everybody, often depends on how strategically I structure and invest my time throughout the day.

Are you an introvert?  What things have you found that help you work out of who you are and also make the most impact in the lives of others?

Are you an extrovert?  What things have you done that have helped the introverts in your life to flourish?