Suffering

I'm still reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and the further I get in the book, the more I have to deal with difficult subject matters.  Chapter 8 talks a lot about what it means to live a "sold out" life to Christ, not to prove our devotion, but because we are actually "in love" with God .  It is so painful to be reminded that serving God should be a natural outpouring to those who are truly in need.  It's likely that the reason such a pursuit seems difficult for us is that we're caught up in so many things that steal our time.

In the ministry, it's easy to get swamped, as every church member has a passion for me and my job, and they all have tasks they want done by me on their time-line.  I spin my wheels, usually, trying to "prove" that I am devoted to the ministry out of the fear that noncompliance will emulate an uncaring spirit.  So, just because people are disappointed with me, does that define whether or not I'm serving God like a pastor who is truly in love with Him?