based on the LGG study, Abiding in Jesus, w5d2
Read and SOAP: John 15:13-14
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
John 15:13-14
Truly loving others, by “laying down” one’s life, means “abiding” in the love of Christ (John 15:8–11), in a consistent, moment-by-moment approach.
bibleref.com
I love the double layer of these verses. First comes the reminder of just how great the love of Jesus is. Then, the excitement and blessing of hearing Jesus say, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Who wouldn’t want a friend like Jesus? Oh, friends, may we be friends like Jesus to the lost and hurting world around us. May we truly love others by laying down our lives and abiding in the love of Christ in a consistent, moment-by-moment approach.🦋
When we abide in Jesus, we are connected to Him in such a way that His love can now become our love. True love isn’t passive; it’s a choice to give of ourselves in ways that cost us something. It might be our time, attention, or our resources. Real love, the kind that Jesus commands, is sacrificial. It’s the willingness to lay down our lives for the sake of someone else.
Loving others this way is both a privilege and a challenge. It’s a privilege because it’s how we reflect Jesus to the world, showing the beauty of His love. But it’s also a challenge because it calls us beyond comfort and into places of surrendering and service. That’s especially tough for us who live in an age of “entitlement,” where everyone seems to be obsessed with their own rights and their own well-being.
When we abide in Christ, we may ask Him to make our dry hearts be so filled with His love that we can overflow with love to those around us. This is how we remain in His love — by letting His love move through us to bless and uplift others.
The more we abide in Jesus, the more our lives reflect His love in action. We become more patient, more compassionate, and more willing to give even when it’s hard. And in that giving, we discover the joy and purpose of living a life that glorifies Him. Aiding in Christ means loving as He loved — faithfully, selflessly, and with a heart that desires to obey.
From today’s Love God Greatly Journal entry/p149
-Echoing the prayer of the Love God Greatly team, may Jesus help us to abide in Him every day so that His love can flow through me to others. May we learn to love with a heart that gives and serves. Amen –
The More We Know
Both today’s devotional and Scripture indicate that the more we abide in Jesus, the more our lives reflect His love in action – let’s listen again to Teach me to Abide. Oh, that it might become a song that is repeated often in our mind and heart and flows from our lips.
Me From the Inside Out 