Red Letters/Black Letters: Day 113: Are we loving the rules or following the rule of love?

"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, 

and We will come to him and make Our home with him." John 14:23

It's interesting, isn't it, that how well we follow Jesus, in his mind, depends on how well we love Jesus. It's interesting, but as I sit here it makes total sense to me. Are you married or dating? If you are this should make sense to you. Are you a devoted child or parent? If you are this should make sense to you. Are you a really good friend? If you are this should make sense to you. Are you a total loner without connections? You may be a bit foggy right now.

When you love someone it does things to you, it changes your views, or in the words of Rob and Kristen Bell, it changes your center of gravity. In their book The Zimzum of Love they discuss how when you begin to care for someone else your whole world begins to shift towards them, no longer do you just care about yourself but you are beginning to be concerned about their well being as much as, or more than, your own. It's a simple, yet profound truth, when you love someone what they want matters to you. They are speaking of marital love, but the same is true in any love relationship, and it is especially true when we are talking about love of Jesus.

Loving Jesus causes us to begin to see the world as Jesus sees it. Loving Jesus causes us to begin to interact with the world the way Jesus wants us to. Loving Jesus causes us to begin to live in the world the way Jesus lived in it. We can love God and neighbor and enemy well only when we love Jesus well, and by loving more and loving well we keep Jesus's word better.

Too often we in the church seem to shift the focus away from 'loves Me' and onto the 'keeping My word' part; we give out a list of rules and tell people if you really want to be a part of our group this is how you should and should not act. In reality we should be telling people this is how you should and should not love. Their is a huge gulf between looking out for your own interests and compassion, between the holy huddle and inclusion, between hatred and equality, between following the rules and loving the savior.

+ How is your love for Jesus connected to living and loving like him?

+ Where have you traditionally focused, on the love or the rules?