My youth pastor, Phillip, from my days in middle school has recently acted a little bit out of the “norm.” I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s “normal” for youth pastors to do strange things in order to connect with the middle school/high school generation. It’s not out of the normal context of a youth pastor’s day to perform odd stunts, eat things that shouldn’t be eaten, and dye their hair strange colors for the purpose of “ministry.” That’s just not been Phillip. He’s not been the guy who’s gone over the top to be the “cool” guy. He’s connected with our generation, for sure. It’s just not been because he’s done crazy things. Until now…(see picture below)
Never would I have thought that Philip would have stooped to this level, dropped this low, and gone this far all to raise money to buy bikes for pastors in India (for more information, see his church’s website). But, he did. This is a different side of Philip than I ever saw, and I have to say that, though it’s a bit unorthodox, I like it. He’s done it in the name of love of ministry, of the love of missions, of the love of people, and of the love of God.
We do a lot of things “in the name of love.” I know I have. Before I got married, you would have never found me eating a chicken salad sandwich at a dainty cafe. You also would not have found me watching girly movies or tv shows like John and Kate Plus Eight or The Gilmore Girls. You probably wouldn’t have seen me strolling through a nursery to find just the right plant to go into our flower bed. You also wouldn’t have seen me making sure I had my shirts ironed and socks matching before I left the house. I’ve learned to do a lot “in the name of love.” And is it all that bad? I think not.
I have learned that self-sacrifice is essential in loving my wife. If I am going to begin living up to the high calling that Paul lays down of “husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church” it absolutely must involve self-sacrifice. I know that eating chicken salad at dainty cafes and making sure my socks are picked up off of the floor (which I’m still working on, honey) are seemingly minor things. But they’re a step in the right direction. They’re revealing that my heart adores my wife. It’s these small acts of love that speak volumes to my wife, and tell her that, when the huge opportunities come, I’ll love you even more (it might be a stretch, and not the primary application of the passage, but Luke 16:10, “He who can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much,” may apply here). My attitude and behavior is an overflow of my heart (Matthew 6:21; James 4:1-3), even in the small things.
Don’t forget about the strange behavior of Phillip. It’s reflecting a heart that loves God. What more could you do in the name of love?
