We’re thrilled to hear devotional thoughts from Vicki Weimer this week! Feel free to stop by the contributors page to learn more about her.
“Just feed the baby,” I said to my daughter. As a new mom, she is bombarded with advice from well-meaning people and social media about how, when, and where to feed the baby. Nurse on demand. Nurse on a schedule. Pump. Don’t pump. Let dad bottle-feed at night. Nurse exclusively for six months. Let the baby try food when he wants to. Try baby-led weaning. It’s a lot of noise for a new mom. Though I can share my opinions and experience with her, I told her that there is only one overriding rule. Just feed the baby.
Like new parents, ministers who love Jesus can get overwhelmed by all the noise. We hear preachers in sermons, read in books, learn at conferences, and see on social media all the different ways to reach people. Use hymn books. Use screens. Play this music. Never use those instruments. Hold small groups. Meet corporately. Reach out more. Give people space. Slow down. Hurry up. We often get confused about the right and wrong ways to minister.
Those in ministry, whether full-time, part-time, or at any level, can learn from the lessons Jesus taught. When I told my flustered daughter, “Just feed the baby,” I immediately remembered the conversation that Jesus had with Simon Peter eating fish on the beach at the Sea of Galilee. “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs” (John 21:15). Jesus repeated Himself in the conversation: “Feed My lambs. Feed My sheep. Feed My sheep.” I can imagine Jesus knew the emotional and mental turmoil that Peter was about to encounter and tried to help him stay focused on what mattered. If you love Me, just feed My sheep, Peter.
Though Peter had a special role in the first church with the admonition from Jesus, I believe that this principle applies to anyone serving the Lord. Peter had to deal with griping members in the first church, jealous religious leaders who imprisoned him and even tried to kill him, and confusing first steps of leading the believers after Jesus went back to heaven. Ministers today have griping members of different varieties, unjust civil leaders trying to stop their ministries, and questions about doctrines or church polities. Through all the noise, maybe we need to bring our minds back to the fish with Jesus on the beach and remember His words. Much like I advised my daughter to ignore the noise and just feed the baby, those of us in ministry may need to ignore the noise, remember our love for Jesus, and use God’s Word to just feed the sheep.
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