Greater Love...

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

It is Passion Week: a week that commemorates the betrayal and crucifixion of our Savior. For me, this year it comes with a pull on my heart from God. Today, while reading and praying, this verse was given to me. It has been a year for me since God called me to walk a different and difficult path; one that has torn me away from ideals that I cherished and clung to as false gods. In some ways, I have been playing chess with God…and the score currently rests with Christine 0, God “however many.”

Yesterday, I was asked to die to myself over something I cherished. Today, I mourned the death of a dream and turned heavenward for an answer to my pain. The answer came in the form of peace. I still do not know the end or the outcome but I know where I stand with God and that is all that matters. God answered a prayer that I prayer very specifically with the answer I did not want and while part of me still hopes that the answer may be wrong I know it is not. I die, I let go, and I turn heavenward in obedience to my baptism.

What does it mean to lay down your life for your friends? Does it mean standing in their place when they are dying justly or unjustly? Taking a bullet for them? Those endings make nice movies but in real life does it perhaps mean that we give up our desires and plans for what is God’s purpose for us in their lives? Does it mean doing everything for them or being willing to allow them to walk their own path? Being willing to hurt those that you care about when you know that it is for their own good. Do we save them from the pain that will only build them and make them stronger?

Tonight, the laying down of our life means to me to be self-death. Death to what I think is best for them and right. Death to what I want them to do. Death to my desire and being willing to accept the prescribed boundaries of the relationship. Being willing to be who God placed you there to be…be that the friend, the counselor, or the lover. It means being willing to let go of them when the time comes. To allow them to fade into the past if needed. It means you die to your comfort and hold those you love accountable to God’s law even if it does mean the death of the friendship. Being a friend means dying to yourself…over and over again.

God says that, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14) He calls us to die as he died…to our desires, to our hopes, and to our dreams over and over again in the knowledge that all will be granted. ALL WILL BE GRANTED. Our human minds cannot grasp what that entails. The price of disobedience is too great. Obedience is shown to be the way of life over and over again. Obedience requires death.

But, from this death springs life, joy, and happiness. A life full and rich. A joy that does not fade. A happiness that overwhelms the deepest sorrow…but also allows us to still feel our pain and to grieve. Our God loves us. He chose us to be His children and calls us to the faith of a child. Is it that hard? Without Him, yes.

This is a week that we remember a sacrifice beyond all comparison to anything that we could ever be called to give. Christ, God incarnate, humbled Himself to take our place and laid down His life for us. His passion should be our passion. His obedience to the Father’s will should be our obedience.

Let us take up our cross and follow Him…knowing that as surely as He was brought back to life so to shall we. Our deaths are much smaller and our reward is beyond comparison.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these he will do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” ~John 14:12-15.

Blessings…

~Christine