CHERISHING
One of the people I love the most is my wife. The reason is not only because she is the mother of my beautiful children, or because she is my only lifelong companion. It’s because I know for sure that she loves me “to the moon and back.” Those are the words she always says, and I believe her—not because I generally tend to believe what people say, but because she proves she loves me through her actions. They show that she cares for me, and she is always there in time of need.
Marriage is a gift from God, because God knows that it is not good for a person to be alone. The Bible recorded, “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him” (Gen. 2:18). God revealed His absolute brilliance when He made a help meet for Adam—and for people who have lived after Adam—because most people find it very hard to be alone. I can hardly live without my wife; she is my treasure, and I CHERISH her.
In Ephesians 5:25, Jesus commanded husbands to “love your wives”! So, to obey His command, I have to confess that I just “love my wife to death.” Jesus continued His instructions, saying that husbands must, “love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” What does this mean? It means that because Jesus loved the church, He gave himself for it, even unto death.
Jesus’ love for His church cannot be compared to my love for my wife. Even though I love her very deeply, Jesus loves us even more. He has proven His love for humankind by laying down His life for us. He loves us selflessly; He CHERISHES His people—you and me—and willingly made the ultimate sacrifice for us. What is our response to His great love, and how great is our desire to live with Him eternally in heaven?
Ellen White wrote, “Those who want heaven must, with all the energy which they possess, be encouraging the principles of heaven. Instead of withering up with selfishness, their souls should be expanding with benevolence. Every opportunity should be improved in doing good to one another, and thus CHERISHING the principles of heaven. Jesus was presented to me as the perfect pattern. His life was without selfish interest, but ever marked with disinterested benevolence.”— Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G White, p. 174.
Jesus has provided us with magnificent “stair steps” to climb: (1) CHERISHING Heaven’s principles; (2) doing good to one another at every opportunity; (3) unselfishness; (4) expanding the soul with benevolence; and (5) no selfish interest but disinterested benevolence.
Is there any other magnificent staircase that we can climb? No, this is it; so, let’s proceed!!
Hiskia Missah, Editor
