Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

When I first read John 14:15, I was reminded of a dear, sweet man that I love and adore so much, Jack Bates. The best piece of advice I have ever been given came from this man because of its simplistic nature. He said, “Honey, I don’t like to read a whole lot, but that’s not what it’s about. When I read the Bible, I read one verse and then I do it.” That sums it up, doesn’t it? Our role in following Jesus should be that simple, but I would be willing to bet you agree when I say it’s not simple, but it’s worth it.  

If we take Mr. Jack’s advice let’s see what that means for John 14:15. “If you love me, keep my commands.” Have you ever watched someone fall in love? I immediately think of my two children who recently both married within the same year. They are so different in their personalities yet watching them fall in love, there was one thing that was the same for both of them. The amount of time they chose to spend with their new love while getting to know them was all-consuming. There was never a question or doubt that at some point each day there would be time spent together. There were days when it was a simple phone call, Facetime, or texting, but what they really enjoyed were the days when they were together in person for hours and hours. When you fall in love with someone, it’s amazing how that person becomes your motivation for the decisions you make, the actions you carry out, and the ultimate direction of your life. So, why should this be any different from falling in love with Jesus? I think John’s point here is if we really love Jesus to this extent, if we make Him the priority of our days, if we go to bed at night making plans on how we will see and be with Him the next day, then keeping His commands will be the most natural response to this love. Do we love him like this? Do we love Him to the degree that we see His commands as something we GET to do FOR Him to show how much we love Him?  

The beautiful promises that follow this one verse are that if we choose Jesus and love Him, we will not walk through life alone. Jesus promised that once He was gone, God would send us His Holy Spirit to live in us and be our helper. We are told in verses 26 and 27 that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and remind us of all that Jesus has said. He will provide us with a peace that this world knows nothing about. I think it’s very clear how much God loves us when we start to trace the details of this very specific plan we see unfolding. It’s a plan that leads us to a free and abundant life that is ours if we choose to follow Jesus. This is a Jesus worth getting to know. This is a Jesus worth loving.  

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence. 

Reflection: 

• Spend some time thinking about a time you fell in love. Write down specific things you did for this person you were getting to know. Now, compare those things with what you do for Jesus. Write down some ways you will be just as intentional in getting to know Him and expressing that love to Him.
• Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for loving us FIRST! You teach us what it means to truly love people. I pray that your love will overflow to the people I come into contact with in my everyday life. In the moments when I forget, remind me that in order to love others well, I must first love you. In Jesus' name, amen.