Hope Fellowship Community Church

Over the past eight years, the love I have for my wife, Bev, has been developing and growing. There are times of hurting, times of joy, and times of not so much of either. The love that my wife has for me is amazing. She has put up with my stubbornness, my grouchiness, and all the other "nesses" that no one else really sees. But I know that she loves me. I know that she will stand beside me no matter what. I know that she will be there with me because we have made that commitment to always work things out and never even mention the "d" word. Whatever it takes, whatever we have to do, we will be together. We will always strive to grow and be happy together.

I think about God and that is how I view his love for me. I know that through all my "nesses", he will be there and he will love me for who I am. Psalm 36 says, "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."

Does my love for God look like this? When things don't go my way, do I threaten divorce? Do I give him the silent treatment because I am mad and don't feel like talking it out? Do his "nesses" collide with my own and cause even more confusion and disruption in my life? His greatness and faithfulness overshadow anything that my humanity could wrap itself around. I do not understand his love and how he could love me, even though he knows me completely.

My wife and one of her friends have observed many people's "nesses" and have concluded that everyone has different ones and they don't always match up with everyone else's "nesses." We each have our different "nesses" and are unique in our own way. However, don't let your "ness" be an excuse for your sin. If your "ness" is grouchiness, and you know that it is, don't let it be a crutch to be grouchy...do something about it. Find your "ness" and if it is something that does not please God, change it. Let your commitment to him be an incentive to grow into a loving and obedient relationship with him.