Abide & Love

John 15 is my favorite chapter in the Bible. In the entire chapter Jesus is speaking and what He says is so packed full of truth that I keep digging deeper into it, always finding more and more of God.

One of the first things to see in this chapter is that the word “abide” appears 10 times in the first 10 verses. Five of those ‘abides’ are contained in the phrase “...abide in Me…”

In school, I learned that anytime a teacher says something repeatedly, you should pay extra attention to what they are saying. The more they repeat it, the more important it is. In addition to that, if they also take the time to write that same information on the board or notate it some other way, it is a way to let you know that this information is very important and you should really PAY ATTENTION, take notes, and make every effort to remember, because eventually, that information will be on at least one test, if not more. 

To be repeated 10 times tells us that abiding in Jesus is very important to Him. In this test called life, Jesus wants, desires, and is pleading with us to abide in Him. Anything that important to Him should be important to us too. Not only does He say to abide in Him, but He also says we are to abide in His love in verses 9 & 10.

Besides abiding in Jesus and abiding in His love, there is another phrase He repeats twice. He says, we are to “love one another” in verses 12 & 17. It is His commandment. He also mentions loving one another in Chapter 13:34 & 35.  

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35

In verse 14 Jesus says, 

“You are my friends if you do what I command.” - John 15:14

Sometimes it takes boldness to do what Jesus commands. Just like Peter when he dared Jesus to command him to come meet him on the water. Peter showed complete faith in Jesus as he stepped out of the boat… until he took his eyes off Him.

I wonder, what did Jesus and Peter talk about after He pulled him back on top of the water and  they walked together back towards the boat? Did He continue to get on him about doubting, point out the spectacular view or some big fish under their feet? (I hear the Jaws theme: Do doomp Do doomp) Or did He encourage him that at least he trusted Him enough to get out of the boat at all?

Besides that, how can someone, anyone “start” to sink? I grew up around water. People don’t “start” to sink. They just sink. One second they are on top of the water, and the next, they’ve sunk and are under it. Even at that moment in Peter’s life, when he had gotten distracted by the waves and took his eyes off of Jesus, He showed him mercy and was still working with him, giving him an opportunity to refocus on Him and ask to be saved. 

Jesus, You are good like that. You really are. I like that about You!

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All those commandments in the Old Testament, Lord, I cannot keep them. In verse 10 You say “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love…” I already know I cannot keep Your commandments, but I want to abide in Your love. And then in verse 12 You say, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” and in verse 17, ”These things I command you, that you love one another.” Now those two verses about loving one another, I think I can handle. It sounds much easier and less confusing than all those commandments in the Old Testament. All I’ve got to do and remember is to love. That sounds easy enough, UNTIL I start thinking about what love really is? I am not sure I’ve known love, true love that is. Except for You, God, and what You have done for me, I don’t know that what I’ve experienced and what I’ve felt for others has been true love. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 is something to strive for, but I don’t think my life, my motives, thoughts, and actions have been based on Your version of love. Thank You that I am forgiven and change me, Lord into who You intended me to be.

Lord, help me abide in You. Help me to love others as You have loved me. I want my life to bear fruit, lots of fruit, 100 fold fruit. Please prune me so that I can. Help me stay focused on You and not be distracted by anything. Even if You have to super glue my forehead to Yours and put horse blinders on me so I can’t see anything on the sides, please do so. Please help me to not lean on my own understanding but to lean on and acknowledge You to the point that if I don’t move when You do I lose my balance until I find You again.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

 Help me to truly love You to the point that the life I live is totally in You and because of You.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20

Walk me through how to love others. Teach me what that looks like, feels like, and how to think like that. Help me to honestly say, “All I have and all I am is Yours. Do with me as You will because it’s all about YOU!”