CARE

Pastoral care is an obligation and a privilege for every believer to love and care for one another. We do so because God has commanded us to love one another. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). We love and care for one another because God first loved us and demonstrated his love for us in his Son Jesus Christ. “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7–8).

Our love and caring for one another begins with our love for Jesus Christ. Our love for one another should be sacrificial, others-focused, and done with humility. God wants us to bear much fruit as we serve Him. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5).

Pastoral care should not be left to the pastors or the leadership of the church. Everyone should get involved.