THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF GOD’S LOVE
ATTY. LAMBERTO L. MEER | Chairman
We are called by God for a purpose, to serve as responsible stewards of His work because He loves us. Reflecting back many years ago, I had a vague picture of God’s love. Until one day in January, 1981, my wife and I joined around a dozen other couples for a “Marriage Encounter Weekend” in Tagaytay. It was during that weekend that I had a deeply personal and life-changing encounter with my God and felt the transforming power of His love. Since then, I have allowed God to take control of my life and have become increasingly aware of His work in all aspects of my life – family, career and civic work, and I have seen how God has started to use me in His vineyard.
Through a brother in our church community, God led me to join TSPI and initially served as Corporate Secretary in 1984 until I was called to serve as Chairman of the Board in 2001. I have been so blessed with the privilege to serve in TSPI for 38 years now. Through the years, TSPI remains committed to its unchanging vision: “To see people live Christ-centered lives with dignity, sufficiency, integrity and hope; demonstrating this through love and service in their families and communities.”
In TSPI, I am convinced that it has always been God Himself, the true Chairman of the Board, who has been leading the organization. He has never forsaken us specially during our most challenging times. I am truly humbled and grateful that God allowed me to witness and take part in His work of transforming hundreds if not thousands of lives through this organization. Ever since, TSPI has been providing extensive discipleship programs to its employees and clients through daily devotions, prayers and sharing of Bible verses, spiritual retreats, and the like, as an integral part of its programs and services. It is our dream and ultimate purpose in TSPI to know and experience God more and more and deepen our personal relationship with Him.
It was therefore a blessing that during the Board of Trustees Fellowship in the celebration of TSPI’s 40th Anniversary, I was able to share with my TSPI family about God’s great, powerful and transforming love. The said fellowship inspired each Trustee to testify on God’s purpose for calling them to TSPI and how they continue to experience His love with their commitment to serve voluntarily in the organization. The power of God’s love continually transforms each one of us and all the more we have realized that it is by God’s grace that we are all serving in TSPI.
TSPI as a Christian microenterprise development institution plays a very special and unique ministry work. Every employee is called to become Christ’s servant to be an effective witness of the Father’s heart – “the Father of compassion and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) Our clients experience God’s love as we serve them with genuine care, respect and trust. As we continue to build God-centered relationships with them, we allow them to see and feel the power of God’s transforming love. We become instruments in drawing them closer to God. The trust and love that we show to them by God’s grace can uplift their spirits and encourage them to move forward.
Indeed, TSPI’s 40 years has been a celebration of God’s love and faithfulness. God continuously demonstrates who He really is. As a worship song says, “so wise, so faithful, so full of grace, so steadfast and so loving is the Lord”. In response, may we become more Christ-like as His followers – so wise in responding to the needs of our clients; so faithful in carrying out the organization’s mission…. so full of grace in serving our clients and so steadfast in obedience to God’s call. All these for the greater glory and honor of our God!
Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all comfort! – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4