Thursday, February 21, 2013

Daily Verse: John 13:35

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 

Why do we follow Christ? Why have we proclaimed faith in this “mysterious” man? For each of us, the answer likely varies based on the relationship we have with the Lord…based on our life experiences…the highs and lows, the struggles and triumphs. But we can all likely agree that we follow Jesus because we hope to receive the promised salvation when this life comes to a close…we hope to be swept up into heaven after our final breath, greeted by family and friends that have gone before, and lovingly embraced by the living God. And this gift from God is so incredible that we want to share it with others…we want others to come to know the peace, joy, and security that we have found in the Lord. We want others to no longer fear death, for dying only means that we are going to see God…face to face…in heaven. But spreading the Gospel is not necessarily an easy task…it’s often incredibly difficult to explain to another the profound and deeply cherished relationship we have with the Lord. We fumble with the words, mess up the timing, and maybe end up looking downright “strange” in the end. Thankfully there is another way…as the words spoken by Christ above indicate, we can spread the Gospel by simply loving one another. We can be known as disciples of Christ…by simply loving one another. Easy as that…through genuine, wholehearted love for those around us the lifesaving message of Christ will spread. And when we display this unexpected love, causing others to take pause and wonder about our unusual behavior, we can smile and point to the Lord…telling them that HE is the reason that we love…HE is the reason for our joy…HE is the reason for our peace! So that in time, all my come to know this same love…and all may come to be known as disciples, followers, believers in Christ Jesus! To God be the glory!

 

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