It Is Right for Me to Feel This Way. . .

This morning, I had the opportunity to be in chapel at Camp Peniel. I was accompanying (chauffeuring) the PrimeTimers (our church's senior group) up there for the day. The chapel speaker is Pastor Roger Bixler, who was Westerville Bible Church's pastor for its first 32 years, and was on special assignment for GFA Missions for the last ten years.

Pastor Bixler is speaking in the morning chapel services on the book of Philippians. As he preached through the first chapter, I was thinking about verses seven and eight.

"It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus" (Phil 1:7-8 ESV).

I think I understand a bit of what Paul is saying because I know how I feel about the souls that God has entrusted to my oversight (Acts 20:28). The Lord has raised up a very special fellowship of people to whom I have the privilege of ministering. I take that responsibility very seriously (1 Pet 5:1-5), and I enjoy it immensely.

The longer God keeps my wife and me here in Westerville, the greater the burden God has given me for these people grows. I think I can identify with the experience of Titus, for whom Paul thanked God.

"But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you" (2 Cor 8:16 ESV).

I believe that God not only gifts a man for leadership in his Church (Eph 4:12-16), he also gives him a desire to fulfill that role (1 Tim 3:1). Additionally, as God's specific will for that man is made clear, God also gives a burden and a care for those people to whom that man is called.

I suppose I am not very demonstrative in my affection for those people (i.e., I'm not a very "touchy-feely" sort of guy), but I do hope my care and concern is evident. My temperment is more likely to show my care by doing or serving rather than voicing that affection, but I hope that my words and actions show it.

For several weeks this summer, we had the opportunity to minister at the Marysville Bible Study as they began Sunday morning services. It was a wonderful time of service, but I longed to be back at church. Even as my wife and I prepare to visit Mexico City later this week, I am struck by the sense that I am going to miss the people for whom God has burdened my heart.

And yes, it is right for me to feel this way about them, because I hold them in my heart. I long for them with the affection of Jesus Christ.