Introduction:
Good day to all of you. Today, the entire world celebrates the Valentine’s Day. This day is one of the highlighted events of the human race including the Christmas and New Year’s celebration. But this morning, I will not focus on the celebration of the valentines, which now a days focused more on the fancy aspect of its celebration.
The context of love is so huge and un-ending debate of the real meaning of it. There are different perspective and points of view when we talked about LOVE. In this lovely morning, I will share to you the things I observed and wandered around for the past 3 decades that I lived in this world. This is a personal reflection and meditation of mine, so I ask an apology for the different perspective that I will share.
LOVE usually is related to person to person or human related emotions that we are attached to. But there are other dimensions or other objects that we “LOVE” that we aren’t aware of. This might not be directly observed or noticed but I will try to elaborate it this morning.
Once again, a lovely and romantic morning to all of you! The first Love that I will tackle is the LOVE OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS.
The Content
I. Love of Material Possessions
Yes, the love of material possessions. This is a silent love that we have for things we desire. What are these? Your latest gadgets (laptops, imac, ipod/ipad, cellphones, touchpads, digital cams), cars (Ferrari, mercedez, SUVs), appliances (lcd/led tvs, latest furnitures and sala set), and there are so many more things that we are craving and eyeing for.
Does love for material possessions a good thing or a bad thing? One thing that I might say to you, personally I can’t be a judged for that. You can assess it by your own. This is just a wake up call to all of us that we might be blinded by this type of love. Assessing this simply make it to a point that you are getting this for a purpose and not just to a fad that adds up to the clutter of your cabinet or storage area. It might be truly bad if you become what we called a shopaholic which you will find a way to buy it either by hook or by crook to get that item.
Let me share to you a text from Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Another text from Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
I will not explain further these texts because this is a somewhat self explanatory.
II. Love of Money
The second Love which is uncommon yet very recognizable, the Love of Money. The love of money is not common because if you look at the Filipino index for our state of life, majority is in below the poverty line and only 5 percent belongs to the rich status. So this type of love usually belongs to the upper class but that doesn’t mean that ordinary Filipinos aren’t infected in this.
Let me cite a biblical verse that talks about the love of money: 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil”. If you try to examine a little bit, money is not evil but rather the act of loving it. This greedy love is the source of every sin. Men murders, cheat, lie, rob, kills, all for the love of money. For love of money Judas sold his Master. In Davao City there’s a joke that life is just worth P3,000.00. Headline of the newspapers and televisions is a result of loving money. The recent scandal of the Generals and the corruption within the Armed Forces of the Philippines is a concrete result of loving money.
But having money or wealth is not evil in itself. For this is a blessing coming from above. Being a good steward of money shows you are a son of God. Money is very helpful especially institutions like BIHMI where we are responding to the Ministry of Jesus which is healing. Without money, we can’t be able to operate and share the blessings from above.
The noble acts of the philanthropist which uplift the lives of our poor brethren is an act of not loving money but showing to be a good stewards of money. Sample of some philanthropist, like Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Winfrey Oprah and local versions like Francisco Colayco, John Illac on building homes, Willie Revillame on Wil Serve foundation, Corazon Aquino foundation and many more. This shows that money is useful yet not an evil thing, but loving it speaks differently.
III. Love of Work
The third one is another Love which we can’t recognize but rather being recognized by the companies to its employees. This is the Love of Work.
Now, you may ask me if this is good or bad. What’s your response to this?
Commonly in all organizations or companies, employees work 40-48 hours per week plus 2 hours travel per day back and forth. Our common sleep hours per week are at a total of 56 hours given 8 hours sleep per day. Our total awake time will be at 112 hours only; this doesn’t include some events that steal our time like taking a bath, cooking, traveling, traffic hours and other small activities that took our spare time away. So if you compute the percentage of the time we spent at work or outside the house for the whole week that is 53%. That constitutes more than half of our time spent the entire week. But if you see it in a day to day basis when you wake up each morning you are in a hurry then leave your house early then arrived at the house late at night due to traffic. We have only 2 hours quality time to spend it with our love ones. So what does this speak to us? How do you spend your time to them?
Technology is another time consuming activity which steals our time, the famous facebook doing farming at our very homes virtually. The communication system that make ourselves available 24 hours a day, no time to sleep. E-mails, texting, laptops, PDAs, iPhones, iPads are very common that human beings are now virtually social.
This is a present challenge especially to the new couples which both parents are working. This challenge affects also to the singles or forever singles. The question of Love of Work is a good thing or a bad thing shall be rephrased to how you spend your quality time especially with your love ones.
Well, if you are sarcastic in answering my question you may respond as resigned and spend my entire time with my love ones. Probably correct but the question of how you sustain your basic need is another challenge.
Maybe the best remedy for this is having a balanced life style from work, family and your spare time. And since our entire life time we are at work, start loving your work for those who always murmurs and complained. We can make our workplace a better place if we start loving our work. BIHMI is much more different because loving our work more means loving more people whom we serve in the healing ministry of Christ.
IV. Love of God
The last Love that I will personally share is the Love of God.
Wow! The love of God. Sounds very religious. I’m not a priest or pastor so I will not tackle the technicalities of the Love of God which is very subtle topic. Rather I will share to you the experience of the Love of God.
The bible makes a short, simple yet powerful definition of God. "God is love" found in 1 John 4:8. I always try to remember this statement in all adversities in my life. That God is love and it shows pure love. Each day I carry this statement notice or unnoticed. At work, there are people whom we can’t please, encountering disgruntled employees, or persons who are negative in perspective, I always prayed that we will solved this with the Love of God, that people will feel the true love of God.
It is normal for a person to be angry but not mad, but it is not normal that everyday we are at an angry disposition. Let the love of Christ enters into your life. We are not talking about religiosity which sometimes we termed it as “mga Plastic”, like the song “Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo”. But the simple yet powerful love of God that emanates in our life.
You know that the Love of God truly resonates to other person like a virus that will infect them. Show someone that you care for them, or be nice and avoid being sarcastic to your fellow co-worker, neighbor or your family. Show them the love of God. And in response this persons who will see the love of God at you shall be returned to you and multiplied to other individuals.
Love God and everything will grow and blooms in time. From your career, your family, your needs and wants and other aspects of your life. I am a living witnessed to this love of God. Loving God means loving my family more and more. I become more aware of my love for them and giving love for those who needed it most. This valentines day I may not have fancy gifts for my dear love one, but she knows that my love is beyond the material things that I will give to her, the true love of God.
Activity:
Find a pair near you. Close your eyes and say, I love you Lord. Open your eyes now look at that person. See something different? If you become appreciative of something, the love of God starts to work in your life. Like, you have a nice hair style; you start to appreciate little things given to you or little favors they have rendered to you.
The Conclusion
This Valentine’s Day or the love day or month of love, we are at the height of giving love fancy or true enough. I just pray that this love will continue and will be shared to mankind all throughout the 364 days of each year.
Almost all of you knew that I was a dengue patient, with a platelet count of 6 only, a near death experience of mine. During that trying moments, I knew medically I’m a candidate to be expired. I looked at my wife and my kid Sashi and ponder what lives will they live-in if I’m gone. I asked God of what His will for me if I will make it or not. Thank God that He has given me another extended life, that’s why I’m not refusing the invitation of our chaplain to share the word to you. Starting my day one of recovery, my views become different or become relevant. I learned a few things: 1. How important our life is; 2. How short our life is/was; 3. And with this it is important that you find your purpose in life. Don’t wait to be at near death just to learn these things.
To end this reflection let me share a simple verse to all of you this season of love, found in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God bless and to God be the Glory!
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