How do we make God’s day?
John 15:8, “My Father is glorified by this: That you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.”
How do we “produce much fruit”?
John 15:5, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
How do we “prove to be my disciples”?
John 13:35, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
How do we love “one another”?
John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
As we make the time to read one chapter of the Bible a day and listen for the whisper of God’s voice speaking directly to us and our journey with him, His desire is that our lives be changed. It is not God’s desire for us to live each day the same way day after day and call it a “life.” Jesus made this clear in John 10:10 when he said, “…My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
This kind of life happens when we build our lives on loving Him and loving others. I previously noted that “loving others” happens when we are willing to take our personal preferences and lay them down and pick up the personal preferences of others. It’s a giving kind of love…the kind we see clearly in John 3:16…”For God so loved…that He GAVE…”
As we read about the cross in the Rooted Reading Plan, we should be keenly aware of what sacrificial love looks like. Is that a description of your love for others? Are you looking for opportunities to put others before yourself? Is there a desire within you to serve others before you serve yourself?
Loving people is a pretty significant application of our faith in Jesus Christ. If we’re not loving, it’s likely we’re not allowing the word to change us. We need to ask the Lord to use scripture to shape us into the men and women He longs for us to become.