ESOCS Devotional 21 July 2022
TEXT: JOHN 13:31-38
MEMORY VERSE: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”John 13:34 KJV
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
Loving like Jesus is the best way to live. When we love like Him, we can step outside ourselves and clearly see our loved ones and their needs. We can shed layers of selfishness, resentment, anxiety, pettiness, and entitlement. Most of all, we can rise above our human imperfections and step into transcendent love.
Jesus’ model of love challenges us to stop settling for anything less than “the most excellent way.”
When it comes to love, Jesus raised the bar astronomically. He teaches us to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, and walk the extra mile. To our human minds, that sounds completely outrageous – but that’s the point.
After Jesus instructed His disciples with this new command, He explained that when they love as He loved, that is how others would know they are His followers. That means when we love people just as Jesus loves us, they too will know that we are His disciples because of the radical love we show. Scripture teaches that we should be different from the world (Rom; 12:2, 1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 4:14); and the way we love is a major indicator of being set apart as followers of Jesus.
The early Church was often noted for the way they loved others; and their love was a witness to the validity of the Gospel message that drew people to give their lives to Jesus. These early Christians shared a life-transforming Gospel message and they shared a life-transforming kind of love. Today, we as believers can allow the Spirit to work through us and demonstrate that same life-giving and selfless love that will draw others to Jesus and serve as a powerful testimony to Jesus’ power and goodness.
If we want to love like Jesus, we have to open our hearts and our minds. We need to be able to fully utilize our emotion, reason, thoughts, and feelings. We can’t bring perfect love into our imperfect lives without this kind of complete vulnerability. Why? Because opening your heart allows love to change your mind. When Jesus touches your heart, your mind can follow suit and be completely transformed. Allowing your heart into the conversation will revolutionize your thinking. We believe that’s what Paul meant when he said, “You’ll be changed from the inside out” (Romans 12:2 MSG).
- In what way, have you showed Christ’s love to those who hate you?
- Father, grant the grace to love my neighbors as you have loved me.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Numbers 20:1–13; Ezekiel 8:1–12; I Timothy 6:11–21
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ESOCS Devotional 21 July 2022
