2-14-2022

  Good Morning All,

             John 15:13; ^“The greatest love you can show is to give your life for your friends.”

    This is one of those verses that have many applications. Jesus uses it when he is speaking to his disciples. He speaks a few hours before he is led away to be crucified. He gave his life for his friends; you and me.

   This verse is frequently used on Memorial Day observances and how it applies to the over 1,000,000 men and women who have died while on active duty for this country.  That is an awful lot of people who gave their lives so that you and I can live the life that we live. A lot of people died so that you and I could live some very common and boring lives. We can go to a Memorial Service, if we choose, or we can sit at home or by the lake. We are not commanded to do anything; we get to choose.

    But today, on Valentine’s Day, we can look at it from another angle. I use this verse when I do marriage counseling. I stress to the soon-to-be betrothed that you are laying down your old life and you are now into a different life. This new life, called marriage, means you have to give up on selfish goals and desires and now you look to the good of the new marriage. These goals do not even have to be that selfish. It might be the young woman who is studying to be a nurse with dreams of becoming a practitioner who now finds herself a stay home mom caring for a child with Muscular Dystrophy. All her skills and training are a wonderful tool but seldom seen. It might be the father who passes on a promotion because it would tear his family away from the place that they love. It might mean giving up personal hobbies or activities in order to guide your children. It might be doing the laundry because your wife cannot do the steps anymore. There are many ways to lay down your life for another and live the whole time you do it.

    This is a major part of a marriage. It is the sublimation of the self for the enhancement of the partner. It is “us” and not “me.” This often times can become the point of contention when we keep score or keep tracks of slights. I have visited with a few men who, at the start, were very supportive of their wife’s career but as she flourished and they languished, laying down their life was a bitter pill to swallow.

    So, today, for those of you who have a spouse, I would encourage you to do something special for your spouse, something that is kind and sacrificial on your part. If your spouse is now a heavenly spouse, give thanks to God for the years you had and the promise of the reunion when Jesus returns. For those of you looking for a spouse, ask God’s guidance for a God-pleasing relationship.

 Dearest Father, today as we pause to remember those who laid down their lives for us, we ask that you bless those who were willing to die but did not and that you would comfort the families of those who did. Protect them and keep us mindful of their needs. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret