Know, Grow, Show. Reflections From John 15Sample

  

DAY 17 : CANCER TO LOVE

WHAT PREVENTS US FROM LOVING? 

DISCONNECTION

We need to stay connected. We cannot be a branch that is disconnected. Jesus has deliberately intertwined the branches and the vine. You do not know which branch is passing the sap from the vine onto you.

God sovereignly puts you beside people in a church etc. We have to learn to go along and to love deeply. People don’t care how much you know till you show them how much you care.

DISSAPOINTMENT /UNREAL EXPECTATIONS 

We all carry around a “Spec to meter”. We are very good at counting the spec in our neighbor’s eye. We forgot that we have a whole tree growing out of our own. This clouds our judgment and vision of people. We need to shed a critical and judgmental spirit.

Christians can be the most judgmental people because we have the knowledge and we think we know and that can blind us into thinking we practice it. 

Why was Jesus so harsh with the Pharisees? They were very obedient – but it was loveless and graceless.

We need to remind ourselves of the Grace of God upon our lives. He never treats us as our sins deserve. We have been forgiven much. Yet we often want to extract justice when we are sinned against.

We need to have a sober judgment of shortcomings, our weaknesses, and ourselves and extend grace to others.

UNFORGIVENESS /OFFENSES

This never affects us in isolation. Slow poison will soon affect everything we touch. We will get bitter, cynical, untrusting of everyone. 

It becomes a lens through which we view all of life. It is the wrong lens. We will start to draw the wrong conclusions about situations and people and will only bring more pain.

We have no choice when it comes to forgiveness. We have to let go in order to set ourselves free. Do yourself a favor and forgive today. Unforgiveness can even block you from experiencing the love of God. How do I know this? I have been there, where every waking thought was filled with a replay of the hurt. I had to learn to surrender it and repent from holding onto unforgiveness.

We are told to forgive others as we forgive others who sin against us.

Luke 11:4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

Matt 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
That is serious. 

PRIDE AND SELF-SEEKING 

The disciples were jostling for power, promotion, and prominence. Remember John 15 is happening a few hours before Jesus’ arrest. He knew what was ahead and that they were going to need each other in the new chapter in their faith. They could not be in competition with each other nor in constant comparison. 

He wanted them to know the importance of first being connected to Him. It is from that prime connection that they get their identity and not from each other or in relation to each other, not what they do and don’t do. 

You can almost sense the urgency in Jesus’ voice as HE is trying to get this truth across to a very distracted lot of disciples. 

They had to learn to get along with each other. It is the same with us.

I find myself challenged by this so often. To love like Jesus which is all of 1Cor 13. Different facets of love challenge me. Sometimes I’m challenged to be patient, sometimes its to overlook someone’s weakness, sometimes it to be kind, etc. 

REFLECT AND ASK YOURSELF |

Have you found it difficult to forgive? Remember how much you have been forgiven and start praying prayers of blessing for the people who have hurt you.