A very common message we hear from followers of Jesus is, "God loves you!" You have likely recently heard it or said it yourself.It's true, of course. God is love (1 John 4:8), so it makes logical sense that the God who is love would indeed love us. The question with which we wrestle today is, how do we respond to his love?There are many ways we are told to respond. Yet sadly, although valid, we sometimes boil down profound truths into overused, formulaic clichés:
Love him back!
Live for him!
Let go and let God!
Jesus take the wheel!
Be his hands and feet!
I have said all those phrases, and while they are all true, they are vague, can feel dismissive, and lack practical, actionable ways to live out our response to God's love.
Instead, I'd like to suggest three steps we can take based on Jesus' life with his disciples that will help us respond to God's loving presence more practically. We reflected on these three actions in today's episode of A Slow Journey through John.
1. Abide
Notice the first reason why Jesus calls the Twelve: "that they might be with him." Jesus invites us into a dynamic set of relationships. John 14:11: “Trust me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” 14:20: “You will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.” We can grow our trust of and response to the love of Jesus by abiding in this love relationship between Father and Son.
Here are four practical ways to abide in Christ:
Spend time in God's Word: read and meditate on Scripture, practice lectio divina, memorize bible verses
Cultivate a life of prayer: set aside time for honest conversation with God where you share your thoughts, struggles, and gratitude. Practice prayerful awareness throughout the day.
Obey his commands: identify areas of your life where God might be calling you to grow in holiness. Seek to love others sacrificially, even when it's inconvenient or difficult.
Practice Sabbath and rest: create intentional rhythms of rest and worship to be refreshed in God's presence.
2. Learn
Jesus wanted his disciples to be with him so they could learn from him. They needed to see how he lived and hear what he taught so they could model their lives after him. Followers of Jesus are to be a learning community. We must always be pursuing the questions "Who are you, Jesus?" and "How are you showing up in the world around me?"
Here are four practical ways to practice learning:
Study Jesus' life and teachings: Read the gospels regularly to understand Jesus' actions, character, and teachings. Maybe pick up a commentary to explore the cultural and historical context of his words.
Be part of Christian community: surround yourself with those who are committed to following Jesus. Discuss Scripture, ask questions, and learn different perspectives.
Read books about following Jesus: explore authors who delve deeply into discipleship, such as Henri Nouwen, Dallas Williard, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance: ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what it means to follow Jesus and empower you to live it out.
3. Go
In John 20:21 Jesus says: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” and then he breathes his life-giving Spirit into his disciples. Jesus' mission, so explicitly connected with life and love, is now our mission. We grow in our trust of and response to Jesus’ love when we receive the Spirit of Jesus and are sent as Jesus was sent to bring Jesus to others that they may also be fully alive.Here are four practical ways to go in the name of Jesus:
Serve those in need: meet the physical and emotional needs of people around you.
Practice radical hospitality: open you home and heart to others, creating spaces where people feel welcomed and safe.
Be a peacemaker: actively work to reconcile relationships and bring peace to conflicts
Share the good news through words and actions: tell others about Jesus when the opportunity arises.
There are clearly many more ways to practice abiding, learning, and going, but this is a good starter plan!
PAUSE and REFLECT
How is God inviting you to respond to his love today?
Of three ways we explored - abiding, learning, and going - which one resonates with you at this point in your journey?
Take a moment to reflect on one small, practical step you can do this week to more deeply respond to God's love for you.
We are deeply loved by God, and whether we respond well or not will not sway the love God has for us. Yet our response will enable us to live more freely, enjoy God more deeply, and love others more fully... or not. So let us continue to seek union with Jesus as we abide, learn, and grow in our faith.
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