by Jason Webb
Several years ago, I found myself at the end of my rope in ministry. The relentless exhaustion had taken its toll on me, and the old adage is true: exhausted people exhaust people, hurt people hurt people, and divided people divide people. My state of being spilled over into every aspect of my life, impacting my family, friends, and the staff I led. I knew I needed help, so I turned to counseling—not just a casual visit now and then, but an all-in commitment. For several months, I attended three sessions a week, embarking on a journey that continues to this day, albeit less frequently.
A Void and a Revelation
I hoped for a quick fix, but it was more complicated. Deep within, I knew there were profound issues to address, and I was right. Something fundamental was missing in my life—a void I couldn’t pinpoint. Despite numerous successes that others celebrated, I felt an emptiness. One striking example was a day at my church where we baptized over 300 people in our pond. It was a record-breaking event, yet I stood in the water thinking, “Why isn’t it 700?”
I poured out my exhaustion and confusion in my counselor’s office. After a few weeks, he leaned in and said, “Jason, you have no idea about love. You don’t know how to accept it, feel it, or give it.” Initially, I dismissed his words. Love? I taught about love all the time. But he wasn’t talking about teaching love; he was addressing my lived experience. He gave me a post-it note with three sentences: “You will fail. You are not alone. You are loved.” These words were a revelation, a profound truth that struck at the heart of my struggles.
“You will fail. You are not alone. You are loved.”
The Theological Encounter
The great theologian AW Tozer wrote, “We have substituted theological ideas for an arresting encounter. We are full of religious notions, but our great weakness is that there is no one for our hearts.” That was me—full of theological knowledge, but my heart was vacant. I began to wrap my life around love, returning to familiar passages like Matthew 22, where Jesus sums up the Bible with “Love God, love others.” I revisited Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3, praying for a deeper understanding of Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge.
As we continued our series Outrageous Faith, which explores what it takes to be a church that influences our personal, family, community and even political spheres, I realized my love was shallow—a few feet wide, long, and deep. My love for my family, church, and myself was limited. Despite years of following Jesus and being in ministry, I had no clue about real love. This journey of understanding and living out love transformed my perspective. Love became the foundation for everything. And we can’t do that without love.
Love Changes the Scorecard
In 1 Corinthians 13, often referred to as the love chapter, Paul addresses a church full of talented, educated people in Corinth. They prided themselves on their gifts and successes. But Paul turned their perspective upside down, emphasizing that their gifts were meaningless without love. Love is the fuel for our talents and successes. Without it, we’re just making noise. Paul used the metaphor of a clanging gong or cymbal—annoying and unproductive, like a musician playing a loud, discordant instrument without the harmony of love.
Love changes the scorecard. It’s not about accomplishments but about transformation. Remaining in Jesus’s love leads to joy and fulfillment. As Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13, love is patient and kind and keeps no record of wrongs. It’s about who we’re becoming in our relationship with God and others. This shift in perspective revolutionized my life. Success was no longer measured by accomplishments but by the depth of relationships and the presence of love. Love, I discovered, is the key to true transformation.
The Power of Vulnerability
Love also demands vulnerability. It requires us to come out of hiding and risk being known, even rejected. Fear is love’s greatest enemy, but perfect love drives out fear. Accepting that love is given, not earned, is challenging but liberating. God loves us because He chooses to, and that love transforms us.
In John 15, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” This love compels us to live differently, to see people through Jesus’s eyes. It changes our interactions, making us more patient, kind, and forgiving. Remaining in Jesus’s love means constantly seeking to align our thoughts, words, and actions with the love he has shown us, allowing it to guide our decisions and relationships. Love never fails; it always wins.
Embracing a “This is Me” Community
David Brenner writes that genuine transformation requires vulnerability. Allowing ourselves to be loved unconditionally is risky but life-changing. We become a “this is me” community, embracing our brokenness and finding acceptance and healing in love.
My prayer for Madison Church is that we embrace this transformative love. May we ruin our reputation for the sake of love, reaching out to the poor, the addicted, the marginalized, and those different from us. Jesus did this for us; as we follow His example, love will always win. This is the love we celebrate in communion—the love that never fails always perseveres and ultimately triumphs.
