The Villages Community Chapel is a multi denominational Christian Church serving those who live the Villages Golf and Country Club and the nearby Assisted Living Facilities in San Jose, CA. Our weekly worship service is held at 10AM Sundays in the Cribari Auditorium in the Villages.
“Commitment to Love”
By Pastor Bill Hayden
04/24/2024
The word commitment is a scary word for many people, which is why, Commitment is a pledge, promise, obligation, dedication, or allegiance. In short, the resounding response to the word commitment requires sacrifice.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have received marching orders from the highest authority to advocate for promoting love to others. John 15:12 NLT: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” Jesus is not advising or suggesting that His disciples are to love one another. He is not making an optional request when He asks us to love one another. He speaks with ultimate and absolute authority when He says, “This is my commandment.”
There is a difference between suggesting and commanding that we do as He desires. Jesus Christ has made it unmistakably clear that if we want to identify with Him and make His life a model for our own, we must be ready and willing to accept suffering, pain, and even death for the sake of others.
This is what it means to belong to Jesus Christ. This is what discipleship means. It means adopting a style of life in which we care about others so much that we are willing to sacrifice on their behalf and give of ourselves on their behalf.
Today, fewer individuals are willing to be faithful disciples of Christ because real love is costly. Jesus declares to His disciples that true love is not passive but active. To truly love someone comes with a cost attached to the relationship. You and I can’t love someone while being selfish at the same time. Love crushes selfishness with sacrifice! It is no longer having it your way!
When we ask God to give us more love for Him, He challenges us to love others whether they respond or not. After all, He loves us; still, some refuse to respond to His gift of Eternal Life.
I was called upon by a friend to visit a friend entering the final season of his life. The doctors had reached their limitations in caring for his afflictions. My friend thought I could offer some comfort and assurance for his transition, but he was not open to hearing his options. I can only pray that he finds peace with God and reconciliation with others.
John 15:14 NLT: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
“Love requires commitment… not convenience.” WLH
Please celebrate with us at the Villages Community Chapel in Cribari Auditorium every Sunday at 10 a.m. to be encouraged over the Word of Life and enjoy coffee and cookies with friends. The chapel is a place for needs to be met, faith to be affirmed, and new friends to embrace. You can view our worship services on YouTube at www.villagescommunitychape.vgcc.club