God has called each of us to a variety of ministries, but regardless of the task before us, there is one strategy that he wants us to follow: to share His love. 

The Lord reminded me of this truth while I was visiting a young woman. She was into New Age beliefs, and I was eager to share the Gospel. Finally, the chance arose. She wasn’t terribly receptive, but as we parted, I was nonetheless satisfied to cross off “evangelize” from my to-do list. That’s when the Lord hit me with a question, “Do you even care about her?” With shame, I admitted to being so focused on ministry that I had lost sight of its purpose.

The Bible is full of encouragement to love. Jesus called it the evidence of being his follower. Paul previews his beautiful description of love with the sobering reminder to infuse all our actions with love. Otherwise, they’re useless. 

Let’s face it; ministry is difficult. We rarely know if we’re even making a difference. But God hasn’t called us to see the fruit of our work; he has appointed us to share his love. If that remains our focus, then nothing we do is futile. 

What is love? The “agape love” that God calls us to demonstrate is, most of all, a mindset of goodwill and service towards people. It wants the best for others. We may or may not even feel affection. The attitude often comes first, and then the feelings of fondness.

The good news is that God has poured his love into our hearts. We don’t need to generate it; instead, we are to be its vessel or conduit. The Lord will gladly help us if we ask for help. Many things are out of our control, but our attitude is not one of them. 

Whenever I feel discouraged, wondering if my ministry even matters, I remember back to that moment when God reminded me of what is truly important. If we focus on sharing God’s love, then we know that our work is never in vain.