"God so loved the world…"

God is Able to love like no one else! We often love others because we are loved by them in return. Our love is based on conditions and we find it very difficult to love others if they abuse, ridicule, slander and misuse us.

Love is the very essence and commodity that makes life worth living and no one demonstrated it better than Jesus in His humanity. Jesus was a friend of the sinners and gave His life for the very ones that loved Him and those who hated and despised him. From the cross He asked the Father to forgive His accusers. From the court yard He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and did not open His mouth and retaliate against those who persecuted and executed Him. From the upper room, He told Judas to "do what you must must do my friend."

God's love knows no boundaries or limitations. He loves the thief, murderer, adulterer, prostitute, pagans and all evil doers. He loves their soul but hates their sin. Jesus came to reconcile man back to God. Jesus came because He loved the sinner. Jesus came because He desires that every person of every race and tongue would spend eternity with Him and "no one would perish."

As we celebrate Valentine's Day this month, take some time to reflect on God's love for us and spread that love to others. Pay for the car behind you at a fast food drive through or do something special for a senior that needs assistance. God is love and God is able to love like no one else! Spread the love of God and help make the world a better place to live.

Bobbi's Bytes

The Loss of Commitment

What is your definition of the word commitment: responsibility, debt, promise? Or maybe there is another word that says commitment to you. Whatever meaning you attach to that word, commitment is a quality and a virtue that is sorely missing in our world today.

Many people marry with no real thought or hope of making a total commitment to their partner. Prenuptial agreements and trial marriages abound. This is not God's plan for marriage, but in today's world this is what passes for commitment.

Employees and employers face the same lack of commitment from each other. An employer has every right to expect that the person whom he hires will give him 100% effort, labor and ability during the work day. An employee has every right to expect his/her employer to pay the wage that was agreed upon, and to treat the employee with courtesy and respect. Sadly, this is often not the case.
Home life has also suffered greatly from lack of commitment. Doing things as a family many times takes a back or non-existent seat to doing "my own thing". Spending time at the dinner table, sharing the day's events together has instead become catch up on the TV shows time or texting and chatting on the phone time. No communication, no sharing, no interest in the lives of other members of the family.

Each of the above examples should be covered with and saturated in commitment. Marriages need to begin with the ultimate desire that not our wants and wishes but that of our partner be utmost in our minds. How can we make them happy? Our determination should be that with God's help we will protect, preserve and defend our marriage vows. We will allow no one or nothing to encroach upon this sacred commitment that we have made before God and to each other.

In the workaday world employee theft is at an all time high. Employees steal money, supplies, equipment and time from their employers. They chat on the phone, they take longer than allowed lunch breaks, they talk about the employer with great disrespect. On the other hand the employer tries to get as much extra work as possible out of an employee without paying him for it. He might cut vacation time or overtime pay or other things. In many cases both are trying to use the other. There is no commitment in workplaces where these ideas and actions abound.

Next month we will conclude this idea of our loss of commitment with a look at probably the greatest lack of commitment of all: that of church members to God and to their church.

Blessings,
Bobbi