Longing to be Found Guilty - Encouragement Café - December 22, 2016

Longing to be Found Guilty
By Stephanie Davis
Thursday, December 22, 2016

A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  John 13:34-35 NIV

I heard a song the other day.  One I have heard many times before, but never this clearly.  The song was Live Like That by Sidewalk Prophets, and the verse that stood out above the rest was this:  

"People pass and even if they don't my name,
Is there evidence that I've been changed
When they see me, do they see you"

Love is vital to any relationship, especially the Christian's relationship to Christ.  Not just our love for Christ, but our love for other people... friends, enemies and every one in between.  John 13:34-35 Christ give us a new commandment:

A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  NIV

We are called to love one another as He has loved us... selflessly, sacrificially, unconditionally, and eternally.  By loving others with His perfect love EVERYONE will know that we are His disciples... students of His teaching... children born through His sacrifice. 

His love is what will set us apart from all the rest.  Without saying a word there will be evidence that we have been changed.  We will be transformed into His image from the inside out!   Our inside will finally match our outside. 

I would like to ask you to take a minute and think about how you would define selfless love?  How would a love like that look?  How would it sound?  How would it respond? 

Would the love you display look like the love Jesus displays?

Check this video out by Sidewalk Prophets - Live Like That

Precious Redeemer, the One who redeemed me out of the pit.  You saw me in the wretched state I was in and yet still chose to embrace me, a dirty, sin filled child.  You brought me upon Your lap, swaddled me in Your arms and surrounded me with Your love. 

Lord to me it's obvious the change that has taken place within me, but I know I am not always display Jesus' love.  Forgive me for that.  Lord help me to embrace who You are.  Help me to rid myself of the things that keep me in the room of self.  Open my heart and my eyes and help me to cross over that threshold into the room of self sacrifice. 

Father thank You for the perfect example You have given us in Jesus.  Thank You for the help we have in the Holy Spirit.  Lord as we go through this day, may we be silent and still so that Your Spirit may speak and move.  May we be found guilty of being a student of Christ's teachings.  May there be evidence in who we are by how we love.  For it's in Jesus precious and holy name I pray, amen. 

© 2016 by Stephanie Davis.  All rights reserved.

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