Laying Down Our Lives
My life is an example to many,
….because you have been my strength and protection.
That is why I can never stop praising you;
….I declare your glory all day long. Psalm 71:7-8 NLT
John 15:12-13 (<<click here to read the passage)
Many have read this story before – it’s been around – and though it is a work of fiction, it drives home the point.
Many years ago, as a hospital volunteer, I got to know a lovely little girl who was suffering from a rare life-threatening disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had somehow survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother and asked him if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. He hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.”
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale, and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”
The little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood to save her.
If you’ve never read that story before, it can have quite an impact. Obviously, it impacted me. I read it years ago, but it was one of the first things to come to mind as I read through today’s passage. Here they are from the Amplified Bible.
“This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.
The “no greater love…” portion of this passage is often used regarding first responders and those who serve in our military, and rightly so. They often are placed in positions where they willingly, knowingly put their lives on the line for others, many of them total strangers.
As I read through the notes of my study Bible, it stressed that laying our lives down for others does not have to mean that we may die in doing so…there are other ways to practice sacrificial love.*
Sacrificial love can be shown in any number of ways. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience and concerted effort just to listen…not just to hear, but to really listen.
Sometimes people need more than just what we have to say. This passage from 1 John 3:18 speaks volumes!
Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words]. AMP
How about encouraging? Our world is really bad about stepping on other’s feelings just because we can. People, especially on social media platforms, love to tromp all over someone else’s simple statements or cries for help. Putting ourselves out there for their defense may find us attacked as well…but isn’t it worth it?
And lastly, others may need the benefit of our giving. It could translate to monetary gifts, but it all might involve time, or energy, or even a voice of influence to change the course of events.
God can – and does! – use us in so many ways…if we will but let Him! May He inspire us to lay down our lives for others.
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 26th, 2021, Sun, 8:06 pm
Speed Bumps!
It has been a crazy week, Father, far from the norm! I give praise to You that I have come to the end of it relatively unscathed. But I also pray for those who are yet going through much more fearsome valleys than mine. Be with and touch them as only You can, Father. Amen.
John 15:9-11 (<<click here to read the passage)
During the busy autumn and spring sports seasons at our school, speed bumps are strategically placed in a couple of spots near our main sports fields. I would think that they accomplish what they are put in place to do, to slow traffic down through the center part of our campus. They are not on any of the roadways in the area but along the drive that links our three schools together.
Now one thing I will tell you, pretty much all of the bus drivers slow down as we come up to them. Being the type of vehicle it is school buses have shocks and leaf springs but, go too fast and you’d definitely feel those speed bumps! Another truth is that there are vehicles out there that you’d hardly notice going over them. The suspension is engineered so as not to feel all those bumps and potholes in the road. Karen’s mini-van rides a lot smoother than my little pick-up does. That’s the way they are built.
Give today’s passage a read.
“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” NLT
When was the last time you went a whole week without a few speed bumps in the road of life? Most of us probably can’t even recall that last day that we didn’t have at least one!
Many days are we just cruising right along when right in the middle of the road pops up a huge speedbump! Out of the blue and there it is! And the standard equipment with which we are born does not include a very good suspension system. Our head hits the roof, and our rear end bottoms out where when we hit rock bottom.
That is far too often the case…but do you realize that when we allow Jesus to “take the wheel” if you please, that that package of fellowship includes a top-of-the-line suspension upgrade? It’s true! When we are in a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ, joy is included – and at no extra charge, I might add!
The ups and downs of life – speedbumps included! – are all too common. When things are going well, we feel elated. When hardships come, we sink into depression. But true joy transcends the rolling waves of circumstance… When our lives are intertwined with his, he will help us walk through adversity without sinking into debilitating lows and manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs.*
Our way will not be perfect by any means but when we allow Jesus to take the wheel, we will be filled with [His] joy. Yes, our joy will overflow! Lord Jesus, may it be so! Amen!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 23rd, 2021, Thurs, 7:24 pm
Being Good Just Isn’t Good Enough
Father, I must admit it has been a dreary day. I would pray that I would feel the Sonshine in my soul as we come together. May Your love radiant throughout my being! Amen.
John 15:1-8 (<<click here to read the passage)
I can’t leave this passage without addressing one more thing…
How many good people do we know? How many who are reading this would consider ourselves good people? I think overall that most of us assume that most people are good, don’t you? All kinds of bad things happen in our lives and it is not out of the ordinary that good people step forward and help if they can.
Being a good person is definitely a good thing. We are all very much aware that if good people weren’t there to stand in the gap, the world would be a much more unbearable place. But here’s the thing…being good…it just isn’t good enough…
There are many good, honest people who do what is right but if they are a branch that is not connected to the Vine…if they have never chosen to be a part of the Vine…all of their efforts and energies used in the name of “goodness” make them a dead branch. Apart from Christ our efforts are unfruitful.
If we chose to stop eating and drinking for our daily sustenance, what happens?
There is a “rule of three” that brings into focus how long the human body can last without the basics: three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, and three weeks without food.
We need these things to continue to live! We can live a lifetime without the nourishment and life offered by Christ – our Vine, but I would dare say that most people on their deathbed who have not known Him, would seriously wonder if their lives really meant anything at all…for all the time and energy they invested in it. All of the good acts, what did they amount to?
Remember the last part of John 10:10? Jesus said,
I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. AMP
It’s not good enough to just be a good person. Jesus has so much more for us if we remain in Him. For as Jesus also said,
“I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 AMP
Lord Jesus, help us to find the reality of that in our lives each and every day. Amen.
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 22nd, 2021, Wed, 6:31 pm
The Importance of Pruning
Not the best of days, but here I sit once again before You, Father. Once again use this poor lump of clay to accomplish Your will. Bring out from the weak, something that may be proclaimed as strong in Your name! Amen.
John 15:1-8 (<<click here to read the passage)
So, yesterday I spoke of fruit but just because Karen’s cousin did all the research and got all the arbors in place and planted the vines at just the right distance from each other, just because he did all of that, they didn’t have a great harvest that first year. The vines had to mature and as they did so, Ty had to laboriously tend to the vines.
For vineyards to produce a good crop of grapes the vines have to be tediously groomed. If a branch does not produce fruit, it is cut off. Even branches that do produce fruit are pruned in just the right way so that they will produce even more fruit!
Jesus says the same thing of us in these first few verses,
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” vs1-4 NLT
So, to be very clear God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches.
When a grape farmer prunes the branches on his vines, he aims to accomplish two things: one, he will cut back, and second, he will cut off branches.
We all realize that when we live our lives striving to follow Christ, that it is not always easy. Life can get rocky. It definitely has its ups and downs. And some of those rocky places, some of those downs are more than just the difficulties of life. Ofttimes God may instigate or use whatever is already there to discipline us, to strengthen us, to cause us to realize that we must depend on Him. We cannot do it all on our own. When we do that, our faith is built and in turn, we can encourage others in having gone through those things ourselves.
God is not out to tear us down nor does He get a kick out of seeing us suffer. He loves us and does everything possible to make us strong in our faith. Even in the middle of it all, He is by our side all along the way.
If we have nothing to do with Jesus at all we obviously cannot be productive at all, so we are as good as dead and will be cut off and tossed aside. Those kinds of branches are cut off at the trunk not only because they are worthless but also because they often infect the rest of the tree. People who don’t bear fruit for God or who try to block the efforts of God’s followers will be cut off from his life-giving power.*
One last thing, we are never…ever beyond the point of redemption. Our Creator God can graft back the deadest of branches, bringing us back to life. The only thing that would stop that would be dying in our sins, separating ourselves eternally from Him. Lord, may it not be so…
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 21st, 2021, Tues, 7:57 pm
Be Prolific Producers of Fruit!
Father, I call Your name tonight because, as always, I want to submit myself to Your direction. You know what I do but I acknowledge that I am handling a very holy thing when I do so – Your Word. Use me as You would to touch those who know You and those who do not, may they be drawn to Your light! Amen!
John 15:1-8 (<<click here to read the passage)
There is a cousin on my wife’s side who before his retirement decided to become a vigneron…oh, you don’t know what that is? (I didn’t either – I had to look it up!) OK, how about a viticulturist? No? Well, the more common term is a grape grower or a grape farmer!
A few years back he started getting it all set up. He did his homework in figuring out all he needed to do to get started. He readied 2½ acres and got his arbors up, and then got his plants in the ground. It was a lot of work, for sure! (And, it still is!) But you can tell, it’s his passion!
The above picture shows this year’s harvest for just one of the six varieties he grows! They picked and loaded and delivered 2,140 pounds of Niagara grapes. That’s over a ton! Now that’s passion!
God is passionate about His vineyard, as well!
First of all, this is the seventh and final “I am” statement of Jesus, “I am the true Vine…” But He finishes that statement by saying, “…and My Father is the vinedresser.” v1 AMP It is the Father who cares for and tends the vine. God’s sole purpose in being the “gardener”, as the New Living Translation puts it, is to provide such care for the Vine that He, and His many branches – us! – become prolific producers of fruit!
This is probably going to be a two-parter because there are a couple of ways to go with this passage!
The first “branch” we’ll go down is to establish that all true followers of Jesus are individual branches – we are attached directly to the vine. My Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation uses the phrase, living union. Our living union with Christ enables us to produce much fruit.
Bringing others to a living union with Christ is one fruit, but there are many others. At the beginning of this chapter alone, joy (v11) and love (v12) are mentioned. Galatians 5:22-24 mentions those, as well as peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
2 Peter 1:5b-8 states,
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is much fruit to be born because of our living union with Jesus! It is our calling as His followers to be prolific producers of fruit!
Sept 20th, 2021, Mon, 7:08 pm