Good morning everyone

Today is Paul and my’s 28th anniversary.

I thought the perfect topic today would be on Love.

The Bible specifically tells us to love even our enemies as we love ourselves. I know that this is a hard pill to swallow. It is so easy to look at the other person and start wanting to get them back, or to get even in some way.

Take this for example: Say it is your anniversary and your husband decided to leave and go till someone’s garden. (Yes it is based on a true story). Should I get mad and blow up, or just be thankful that I have a husband that is willing to help other people. Part of his following God includes loving other people by doing acts of service. He loves to go and help others. It is his built in, ordained nature to be there for others.

Yes I could get mad about him leaving, even for a short time, to spend a few moments helping others. However, that would just be hypocritical of me. It is best to “Love Like Jesus Loves.” Plus it was one of those qualities that drew me to him in the first place.

I also have the same gift, in that I like to help others. It is always fun to see what others have as a spiritual gift too.

When we think of all the other people in our church, God puts just the right people there. Not everyone has the same gifts and talents for a reason. We all, with our individual gifts make up the body of the church.

It is usually easy to love our friends. That is until we have an argument. How do you handle arguments? Do you tend to be a fly off the handle type of person, or more of a run away and cry type. I have found out that I can be both. I have just enough gusto to want to take care of things my way. I have been learning in the last few years of my life to let things roll off more, and to respond more closely to how I believe the Lord would react.

Just because we are Christian people does not mean that we will not fly off the handle and tell someone exactly how it will be. We still live in our sin nature, and not our heavenly body. Until we go to Heaven, we will face a tough time trying to always be nice.

That is why even in churches you hear about arguments, and churches splitting. It takes a pure heart with good intentions, that mindfully chooses to love people on a daily basis. And yes this may mean you get your toes stepped on, and have to not have your way.

All Christian people are to live toward becoming more like Jesus. The only way to do this is be reading in your Bible and learning by other methods such as through Sunday School classes. It is definitely not something that is just going to be natural.

I wish there was a “Jesus switch” that we could just flip that would turn our earthly, fleshly body off when we were in an argument. That would be great wouldn’t it? It would be like, “ Hey Joe, I am angry but wait a second- let me flip my Jesus switch. Then all will be happy and back to normal. I don’t know about you, but I need that “Jesus Switch” some days. It would stop a lot of my evilness from ooozing out.

Well we know the “Jesus Switch” no matter how much we want it, is not a real thing. Just a fragment of our imaginations. I guess we could look at it next time we are in an argument or disagreement- just tell yourself you have an invisible switch and imagine Jesus flipping that switch for you. Think, how would Jesus cause me to be different to the person standing in front of me if he had flipped the switch? Then just attempt to treat everyone in that manner each time a rough situation pops up.

That’s all for today.

Remember to think of “The Jesus Switch”