So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34-35
Identity is such an important thing because it helps us all to associate who belongs with who, and what belongs with what. Giving something a name or an identity keeps things in order.
It establishes understanding and relationship. However identity comes based on characteristics and actions. We know a monkey by its tail, a lion by its roar, a teacher by their patience, or an athlete by their stature. We know the identity of Jesus’ disciples by their love, or at least this is what Jesus wanted them to be known by.
At some point the fruit of Jesus must find it’s way from His spirit, through our lives, and into the world.
The pursuit of Jesus and the following of His commands may make you look like a disciple of Jesus but only loving others can prove it. At some point the fruit of Jesus must find it’s way from His spirit, through our lives, and into the world. This will cause revival to breakout. A revival that will change the world. We need this kind of revival. We need the world to see the love of Jesus in us. The desire behind our personal revival should be to see the world around us to change. Let us love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and love one another.
Dear Children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
1 John 3:18-19
THINK IT OVER:
How will the way I love others affect my relationship with Jesus? Can loving others bring me closer in relationship with God?
Do i recognize that loving others is what causes people to recognize Christ in me? In what ways can I love others better?
Reflect on a few people that you will be around today. What can you do today to express Christ’s love for them? Then act on it!
Pray for the strength and patience to love others as Christ. Read 1 John 3.
