Serving
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
In the book Crazy Love, Francis Chan talks a lot about love. He talks about it in different settings with the focus always coming back to God. One of my favorite quotes in the book says, “People who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people.”
At the beginning of the chapter Chan defines obsession as “having the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.” What an incredible description of the life God calls us to have with Him, total preoccupation with God. And it is this obsession that then leads us to lay down our lives for our friends.
During one summer at camp David Speakman told us a story about two brothers who were playing on a sandpit outside of their house. At one point they both fell into the pit and were unable to climb out; it was like being pulled into sinking sand. Suddenly the older brother took the feet of the younger and put them on his shoulder and lifted his brother out of the pit so that he could be freed from the sand.
When we are so focused on loving God it makes it easy to turn around and love His people. Jesus was the perfect picture of love, leaving His Father’s side and coming to Earth, living a perfect life, and dying the death of a sinner. Like the older brother in the story, Jesus has put us on His shoulders, escaping the death we deserve, so that we can live a life saved by His grace. It is this selfless act of love that then fills us to pour our love out for others.
As you start the day think about ways that you can love God’s people. Think about how much He loves you and let that guide you to love others.