Obedient Love

We might be tempted to think that the most loving thing is to let someone do whatever they want. 

Except sometimes people don’t act in the ways that are best for them or others around them. Jesus knew this when he said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” For Jesus, love is not doing whatever he wants, but obeying the Father. We are to love in the same way, not doing whatever we want, but following the command, Jesus has given us.

In today’s passage, Jesus is talking to his followers. He explains what the greatest demonstration of obedient love is: to lay down your life for your friends. Not long after, that’s exactly what Jesus would do: die on a cross for the sake of his friends. And who are his friends? Verse 14 tells us that if we follow Jesus, we are his friends and he died for us.

This is the example Jesus has given us to follow. Showing love to others doesn’t mean we need to die for them, but it does mean we will have to sacrifice things – possibly time, money, energy, or something else we want – for their sake.

Questions:   

1. It can be hard to sacrifice what you want for someone else. How could you remember that obeying Jesus is more important than your own desires?   
2. Do you think obedient love means sticking with someone even if they treat you badly? Why/why not?   
3. Think of someone who you haven’t always loved as you should. Add their name into the prayer below and pray that God will help you to love them.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus was obedient to you in dying for my sake. Thank you for the amazing example of love he has given me. Please help me to love others, especially [add the name of someone you know here], even when it comes at a cost to me, just like it did for your Son. Give me the wisdom to choose positive relationships in which others also express God’s love to me. Amen.