In John 15:9 Jesus directs us to a new level of love, His level, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now
remain in My love.”
Dwelling or living in the love of Christ is not automatic
and usually not easy.
In John 15:10-11 Jesus said, “If you keep My commands, you will
remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His
love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may
be complete.”
Jesus continues in verse 12, “My command is
this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
The Greek word used here for love is Agape. It means to
give someone what they need, not necessarily what they want. It is the God kind of love.
The Jews wanted another King David type of savior to free them from the oppressive Roman rule. God sent Jesus, His Son to save us all for eternity.
How did Jesus show His love? He offers us
forgiveness without condemnation. He healed all that came to Him, calmed the
storm, fed the hungry, raised the dead, had compassion, loved the unlovable,
gave His life for us, carried our sins into Hell, and stands ready to enter our
lives at anytime we choose to open the door and invite Him in. However; we have
to do the inviting.
Some of this I know I can do. I may not accomplish for others all of the ways Jesus chose to love me, but I can do something whether it is taking food to the homeless shelter or to a shut-in, show love to someone that is acting
unloving, forgive everyone of everything- large or small, and ask Jesus into my
heart each day. Sharing His love must become a conscious part of our everyday life.
I find asking for and receiving a daily infilling of His love is vital before I am capable of showing His love
to anyone else. Without coming to Him first I am trying to accomplish sharing His love on my terms which leads to sharing from a deficit and it runs out quickly. I’ve tried this many times and always fail, then I wonder what went wrong.
Jesus has asked us to
partner with Him to accomplish His will on earth just as it is in heaven. He is the head and we are His body. The body does not function without the head.
At best we are like a chicken that has just had its head cut off. It is a crazy sight to see. I watched my daddy do this one time when I was a child. I thought the chicken was looking for it's head. It ran all over the chicken yard.
I can do nothing without Christ's love infilling me. Today was one of those days I needed to soak in His love. So as I ate and drank of the matchless love He offers me, I savored my time in His presence. There is always more than enough and it will never end. Amen!
Blessings on your day!
Karen
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