MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

We recently read a devotional by Oswald Chambers about service to others. He said that Jesus does not primarily call us to make converts to our way of thinking. Rather, we’re to look after His sheep and see that they are nourished in the knowledge of Christ. After the resurrection, Jesus stood on the shore by the Sea of Galilee and asked Peter a searching question. “‘Do you love Me?’” When Peter said of course he did, Jesus replied, “‘Feed My sheep’” (John 21:15-17).

The order matters: Jesus did not begin by sending Peter out to do a work. He began with love.

When Jesus began his public ministry, He called disciples to follow Him. The later work - fishing for people, healing the sick, proclaiming the kingdom - flowed out of time spent with Jesus. In the same way, He often withdrew to be with the Father. There were pressing needs all around, but staying close to the Source of love and power was foremost. His disciples watched the prayers, the teachings, the acts of compassion, and witnessed the obedience of Christ. Their future ministry was shaped less by methods than by the imprint of His life on theirs.

Peter’s story clearly shows this pattern. He had failed publicly, the night of Jesus’ arrest, when he denied even knowing the man. In their later encounter by the sea, Jesus didn’t begin with a scolding; He fixed a meal and asked a question. Three times the question came, matching Peter’s three denials. The commission, “‘Feed My lambs ... tend My sheep ... feed My sheep’’” was then instituted, but only after the relationship was restored.

Peter went on to become a leader in the early church. He preached at Pentecost, healed the sick, and shepherded believers through intense persecution. The foundation of that ministry was not Peter’s strength or his resolve; it was the love that sought him, restored him, and entrusted him with the care of others.

Peter was not alone. Another disciple leaned close to Jesus at the Last Supper, and later wrote of true love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Jesus in the garden. His familiar voice, speaking her name, opened her eyes and she responded with deep recognition, “‘Rabboni!’” (John 20:16). Her service flowed directly from the love she had experienced, and then she carried news of the resurrection to His disciples. Paul met the risen Jesus in a unique way, and later described that the love of Christ controlled him (2 Corinthians 5:14). He endured hardship, rejection, and suffering because he’d first been captured by love. Ordinary believers in the early church cared for one another, shared resources, and at great cost, proclaimed the gospel.

Today, it’s possible to stay busy in Christian work, but to lose connection with the Source. When love is no longer the motivation, service becomes a burden. We grow sensitive to recognition, we protect our energy, and sometimes end up resentful toward the very people we were called to serve. The remedy is not to try harder. We need to linger on the seashore with Jesus and let Him feed us. As we spend time in scripture, prayer, and quiet attentiveness, we are nourished to the point we have something dynamic to offer others.

Causes can inspire for a season. But only a living relationship with Jesus sustains a lifetime of faithful care for His sheep.

The Christian life begins when we recognize and know Jesus. It is sustained by personal, ongoing love for Him. The question He still asks doesn’t begin with, “Do you believe the right things?” or “Are you busy in the work?” but “‘Do you love Me?’” When the answer is yes, however imperfect and growing that may be, He then tells us, “‘Feed My sheep.’”

More good news is that we don’t feed others from our own supply. We are merely a channel for what we’ve received. We’re able to point others to the Shepherd who has cared for us, helping them find their own place of nearness. Quiet acts of faithfulness in homes, churches, workplaces, and friendships become the means by which His sheep are tended.

The love Peter received became the message he carried. Paul’s labor for struggling churches was the overflow of a life that belonged wholly to Jesus. The courage and generosity of early believers came not from mere commitment to a movement. Instead, it originated from lives were changed by the love and presence of Jesus Christ.

The invitation remains simple and searching. Stay close to Jesus, nourished by His love. Let Him fill hearts to overflowing. Go care for His sheep. May God help us keep the order clear: love first, and service will follow.