John 15:12-13
Rebecca Lightfoot
After Jesus talks about Trusting and Obeying/Following Him,the very next thing He says is,”My command is this,love each other as I have loved you.Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends”(John15:12-13).The very first thing Jesus tells His disciples after telling them how to love Him is that they should love each other as He has loved on them over the last 3 years...w God’s Wisdom;God’s Discernment;God’s Patience&Perseverance;God’s Sacrificial Love,&through The Power of God’s Spirit.We cannot follow through on this command of Jesus unless we continue to learn more about the way He Loves&How He loves through studying God’s Word,Praying about THESE things,& having others n our lives that are encouraging us along with THESE things.To LOVE like Jesus LOVES is impossible if left to our own devices.We may start off well now and then,but our love will always become tainted or derailed by something selfish,unwise,or undiscerning....something that can only b corrected/fixed by The Heart/Love of Jesus;The Wisdom&Discernment of our Father God;and the Power of The Holy Spirit.To sincerely follow through with the first command Jesus gives us after telling us how to show our love for Him(Trust&Obey/Follow Him),we must b going to Him always->seeking Him n His Word,through Prayer,& through the accountability & encouragement & edification of others around us that have the same sincere desire to love Jesus.If not,the way we love will be shaped by the way the world shows love,& not by The Way that Jesus teaches us to LOVE!Dear Lord,I have had so many misconceptions about what it means n my life to Trust & Obey/Follow you!This first command you left Your disciples with I now realize is the primary means by which You will change my heart to truly b more and more like Your Heart!Help me grow more aware of this every day,& to have my heart and the way I love become more and more like the way that You love me!