His Command is to Love

People are made with skills and passions. There are things you can read about a person, even in childhood, that signal a passion for art, dance, math, something! There are two or three things in my life that have been these foretold passions or skills of my own: nursing and singing. I have been crooning since I could walk and I have been the mothering caretaker for just about the same amount of time. In high school, my days were spent helping the school nurse and singing in the choir (and the hallways and the shower and the car). One day, I turned this a bit more around and got involved in a church that I absolutely adored. I began singing on Wednesdays on the worship team and found out that there may be a little more to this singing thing than just a potential career path. Singing became my most favorite way of praising my Father and bringing glory to God. I arrived at Western Kentucky University ready to figure out what the heck I would do with my life and to get ready to put my shoes on and head out the door to adulthood. In the past four years, I have found that nursing is definitely my career path and leading worship is going to play a large role in what I do for the rest of my life. Surely, God will reveal other things along the way but these two things are clear cut and beautiful to me. But here is the thing. I am not going to be a good nurse because I am so good at the skills, cause I can give shots like a pro or start an IV in under 30seconds. I am not going to be a good worship leader because I have a great voice or perfect pitch. I won't be good at either of these two things because of my skills. I will be good that them because I love people. When I am taking care of a patient, I am sure they appreciate the timeliness and cleanliness of my brief changing skills. When I am praising God with a microphone in front of my face, I am sure the congregation appreciates that I can carry a tune. These things don't make me good at what I do. A machine could do those things. It is unacceptable to say, "Man, she sure is a great nurse/worship leader but she is mean as a snake!" I have heard that mentioned in both fields and all I want to scream is, "Then she is not good at it!" Both of these things that I love require me to love people. Skills aside, it is about taking care of someone in a time of need with compassion and understanding while also having the skills required for the task. Florence Nightingale (mega-nurse) is recognized world wide as one of the greatest nurses and mothers of nursing to ever exist. She had no IVs, chest X-rays, or Foley catheters to prove her worth with. She had care, compassion and a head for taking care of sick people. And looking at my favorite worship leaders of today, they are not the ones standing on stage having a private time of worship for everyone to admire, they are the ones who LEAD others in praising God! They care, not only about their own worship experience but about the ability for their congregation to praise God as well! This makes a good leader or nurse. "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12-14, 17 NIV)" If you have the skill, whatever your passion or profession, but you do not love when doing it, it is time for a heart check. Realize this: loving my patients and loving my church family is the purpose of what I do. God did give me skills and he gave you skills as well but if I practice them without regard or love for those around me, then I am wasting my skills and myself. His command is to LOVE! So, do it.