Day 13: If you love me...

Jesus had a lot to say about love.  Not all of what He had to say makes particularly easy reading.  Some of it we might rather dilute.

In John 14:15, we read this: If you love me, obey my commandments.  Trying to obey Jesus' commandments is one of the motivations for Love 40 days - the commandment we find to love others in John 13:34.  But since Jesus is so straight down the line about our obedience to Him being intrinsic to our loving Him, let's take the time to read His words today and let them speak to our hearts. 

If you love me, obey my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.  The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognise him.  But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.  No I will not abandon you as orphans - I will come to you.  Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me.  Since I live, you will also live.  When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.  And because they love me, my Father will love them.  And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. [...]  All who love me will do what I say.  My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.  Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me.  And remember, my words are not my own.  What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.  I am telling you these things now while I am still with you.  But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative - that is, the Holy Spirit - he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:15-26

 

It is worth taking time to pray over this passage today and ask the Holy Spirit to help you as you seek to love and obey Jesus, especially given the message that Jonathan brought to us on Sunday about the way that our lives can and should look when we are truly living a life filled with the Spirit.  You may even want to listen to this message again during this week if you can.

 

For the kids:

Jesus said to us: "If you love me, obey my commandments." (John 14:15) Can you list some of the things that Jesus commanded us to do and talk about whether you are following what He asks you to do?  Pray for Him to help you as you seek to be obedient and show Him that you love Him like He loves you.