No Greater Love
John 15:13
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
I’m sure most of you reading this know the story of Jesus’ love. He humbly came down from heaven itself. Lived perfectly on earth. Endured persecution and death on the cross, carrying the sins of all the world like a sacrificial lamb. We know this story and we know we aren’t worthy of it, but it’s the love we get. A gift we don’t deserve, but a blessing all the more. He laid down His life, for us, His friends. One perfect God made man, for a sinful world, there is no greater love!
Now keep this in mind and think about mimicking Jesus’ character. What kinds of things should we be as we strive to be like Him? Yes, it’s patient, kind, good, humble, content, etc. But what links it all together?
LOVE! Love binds all things together.
Okay so… what is love? Well, glad you asked.
Looking back to what I asked you to keep in mind, we can remember Jesus’ sacrifice. He humbled himself, lived perfect in imperfection, yet did not boast, put others first, and died, sinless FOR US! So what is love? It all sacrifice. Sacrificial love is putting others before yourself. Sacrificial love is living daily to kill the flesh and open your heart to the Spirit. Sacrificial love is literally telling Jesus every day “Hey Lord, my day is yours, how do you want to use me?”. Then being obedient to it.
Let’s take a look at Ruth and Naomi. These two women were so close. Their relationship was one rooted in deep love for one another. Naomi, who had moved away from the Promised land in a famine, recently widowed, with only her two daughters-in-law left to support her, decided to move back home. She told both of her daughters-in-laws to leave her so they wouldn’t have to suffer along with her. One left, but the other, Ruth stayed. Not only because of her love for God, but because of her sacrificial love for Naomi.
Ruth knew she would not have a good chance of getting married again. She knew she would have to work extremely hard to even keep both her and Naomi alive. Yet, she chose to sacrificially love Naomi. She worked hard, obeyed both Naomi and God and God blessed her.
As you look to the life Jesus calls us to: a narrow road of sacrificial love, are you willing to follow Him in it? Are you so rooted in Christ’s love for you, your one hearts desire is to show Him that kind of love right back? Would you lay down your own life for Jesus, take up your cross and follow Him?
If you’re as pumped about this as I am, WARNING! Temptation will follow this kind of love; don’t think it’s going to be easy. Satan hates the beautiful living sacrifice of yourself so full of love because love is what defeated Satan. The very tool Satan tries to destroy is the one that we can use to destroy Him. A sacrificial Jesus pointing us to sacrificial Love. Cling to that truth and know that He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you and be encouraged to never weary in doing good, for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up. Keep fighting with love, give your very self as an offering to God, for there is no greater love than to lay dawn one’s life for a friend. Tell God your life is His and friends, I promise, with that, He is oh so pleased.