My reflection this morning is on our call to love and obedience, as Jesus invited us in John 15:9-13 NIV:
[9] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain (abide) in my love. [10] If you keep my commands, you will remain (abide) in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain (abide) in his love. [11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. [12] My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
I added the word 'abide' next to the word remain, because the original Greek word 'meno' can be translated as either word. For me the word remain sounds more like a command, whereas the word abide sounds more like an invitation and choice, based out of affection.
Often times when reading this, we could tend to focus on the call to keep commands, rather than the fact that the foundation of all of this is God's love for us. His invitation, is based on His love for us! He is not some heavenly drill instructor or disciplinarian, requiring obedience just for the sake of having power over us. He doesn't inflict significant penalties for non-compliance. Instead He is in love with us, is motivated out of love, and has a plan for our lives that is wonderful and good. He is inviting us to stay in relationship with Him, abiding in that place of His love, and we are able to do that by following His directions.
Secondly, the primary command of Jesus that we are being called to keep is to love each other as He loved us (verse 12). I reflected previously that if we replace the word commands or commandments with 'love each other' my response to these verses is much less guarded. Verse ten would read, 'If you love each other as I have loved you, you will abide in my love, just as I have loved you in accordance with the Father's love, and abide in His love.' I know it is primarily semantics, but it is helpful to my mind and heart.
Based on my reflection yesterday, loving one another is also an effective weapon against the strategy of the enemy. He is trying to cause division and strife, love defeats that strategy. Loving one another allows us to dwell in God's love, to abide in that place, to remain fixed in His love. What a great defensive position when in a battle, nestled in arms of the all powerful Father. Thus, loving one another is both an offensive weapon against the enemy and defensive position against his attacks.
Finally, the purpose of this revelation is to make our joy complete, and that Jesus' joy might be in us! I think that joy is probably a good indicator of our ability to abide in the Father's love. When we are viewing the world and our circumstances safely from His arms, experiencing His love, our perception of our situation becomes free of stress, fear and anxiety. Not that we won't experience struggles and pain, but our back is not up against a wall, it is up against our Loving Father's chest. In that place, we can experience His joy, for He isn't worried about anything, as He is all powerful and all knowing and His plan and purposes will come to pass. If we can rest and abide in Him, this attitude and perception will wash over us. Thus, we can experience His joy and let it infect us, regardless of how things look.
As I was writing those last few sentences, I was reminded of my son's desire to always sit on my lap when he was younger. I used to call him velcro-butt, because the second I sat down he wanted to be on my lap, and he didn't want to get off my lap, even if I needed to move or stand up. His desire was to be settled in my embrace, remaining in my love. This was his favorite place to sit, by far! This is the picture I see when I read Jesus' statement about remaining in His love.
Lord, I pray that You will help me to remain in Your love, to love those around me as You loved me, and to be as determined as was my son was, to stay in Your embrace! Help us all to recognize Your love, and to respond to Your love!
Amen!
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