In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye asks his wife, Golde, “Do you love me?” She responds, saying, “Do I love you? For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow - after twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?” But he persists and asks again. They finally admit they love each other and conclude that, “It doesn’t change a thing, but even so, after twenty-five years it's nice to know.”
Sometimes ministry looks like this too. The Lord asks whether we love Him, and then we give Him a list of all our activities for the past twenty-five years. Did we do those things out of love for Him? We can stay so busy with all of the church activities that we may not stop to consider our motives. And God is after the motives of our heart! First Corinthians 13 says that if we do not have love, the hours invested in doing good works result in gaining nothing.
Our Women’s Ministry Team has been discussing why we put so much effort into making opportunities for women to connect with each other. God has given us the privilege of serving one another in love. And everything that we do comes down to loving one another. We are fulfilling Jesus' command, “…love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13.34) This kind of love is not just a feeling but a commitment to the well-being of others that results in action.
Practically, we should do this through encouraging one another (Colossians 2.2), serving one another (Galatians 5.13), helping one another (Acts 20.35), and praying for one another (James 5.16, 2 Corinthians 1.11). We can encourage one another by listening, by inviting someone to a get-together, by sending a card, by giving someone a phone call, or by visiting and letting them know that we care.
We can help one another by sharing our burdens, volunteering in the nursery to give young moms a break, helping in the kitchen, taking a meal to someone who is sick or recovering from surgery. We can pray for one another in our Bible study groups, in Sunday morning services, and in Wednesday night prayer group.
It sounds like a lot, but God calls each one of us to our own work. And in that work, He gives us joy as we love and serve others. It may seem like we are pouring ourselves out, but in reality, God is filling us to overflowing. Our desire is that this overflow promotes Titus 2 discipleship for the next generation to continue the legacy of godliness we’ve received.
One of the perks (and drawbacks!) of being in a large church is that there’s always “someone else” available to serve. But we encourage you to be the “someone else” who says yes this year to using your gifts for the kingdom, no matter which ministry you’re interested in. Talk to God. Pray about your “why” and ask Him where He wants you. We believe God has uniquely gifted each person to be a blessing to others.
The Women’s Ministry Team is in prayer about filling positions for the next term (July 2024 through June 2025). Please pray for us as we seek wise leaders who love the Lord and one another. We’re thankful for the blessings we’ve seen this past year with new friendships, intentional prayer together, meals in homes, and ways we’ve seen God show up in our daily lives.
In this season of rebirth, let us ask the Lord to recalibrate our hearts and erase our busy lists - that our love for Him would overflow and be the “why” of each ministry here at CPC.
For the Kingdom - The CPC Women’s Ministry Team
