Friday Focus #30

No Greater Love Than This

Are you a friend of Jesus? How do you know? How do you check that or test that? Are you willing to do as He commands? Are you willing to lay down your life for your friends? You can say yes to all of these things, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. In John 15:13, Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." What did he mean?

In the very next verse (14) Jesus says "You are my friends if you do what I command you." If you think you are a Christian, it may only be in thought. If you are not willing to submit your will to be in accordance with what God says and how Christ taught, lived and commanded, then how can Christ be in any title that you associate with your spiritual perspective? Are you willing to die for you friends? If so, are you willing to stop, slow down and make a phone call? Visit? Before you say you can do the big stuff, are you already doing the small stuff? Or are you too busy?

Remember Jesus was not "some guy" but he was God in the flesh and was also human. He read the scriptures and learned from them. He applied them when applicable. He sacrificed himself for your sins and mine. We can't even sacrifice time for our friends so how can we say we would lay down our lives. We can't even sacrifice parts of us that make others stumble. Are we really friends of Christ willing to sacrifice? Or are we just being selfish and thinking we are doing what we ought to be. 

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Galatians 6: Bearing Burdens and Reaping and Sowing

Bearing Burdens and Reaping and Sowing

Paul tells the church to bear one another's burdens. That means help each other through the tough times. We can't "expect" others to help us as that leads to disappointment and is very self focused. But simply, find a burden that another carries and help them with it (Galatians 6:2). This is is part of the new commandment that Jesus gave us which was to love one another. It can be tiresome when we are loving people as we can expect the same love back when we need it. But Paul tells us not to grow weary of doing good as we will reap in due season (Galatians 6:9). That means when the time is right, just like with a crop, the fruit will be produced.

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John 21: Cast the Net on the Right Side

Cast the Net on the Right Side

When we live our lives and do things that are normal to us with work, marriage/dating, school, friendships, etc, we do things based on what we know. We do things the way that we have often done them. That way is sometimes based on the idea of "what can I get out of this." That is not the way God wants you to think.

 

After the resurrection of Jesus, he appeared to the disciples. After he appeared to them, Simon Peter and the other disciples went fishing. This was their work. This was their livelihood. This was how they operated. While out fishing the men were not catching any fish. Jesus called out to them (but they didn't know it was Jesus) from the shore and asked them if they had caught any fish. They answered no and Jesus said "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." They caught so many fish they were not able to haul them all in (John 21:1-8).

 

What does this tell us? When you heed the Lord's direction and guidance the blessing can come in an abundance. They can be so abundant that it can be overwhelming, but not in a bad way. Can you imagine following God's direction and being blessed by what you needed? Following His direction sounds like the magic word...obedience.

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