Give Life, Get joy
Life Spark: Give love, give life, get joy. (John 15:9-17)
When the eternal Son of God came to earth He had already decided to give His life in order to kill our death. The song Crown Him with Many Crowns says Jesus “came eternal life to bring and lives that death may die.”
Fast approaching the day of His death, Jesus urged His disciples to remain in His love by obeying His commandment. His commandments are summed up like this: “Love the Father and love one another just like I did.” The love He spoke of was agape love – undeserved, unconditional love.
The essence of agape love is putting another person’s wellbeing higher on your priority list than you put your own happiness. If putting God and others first is rated on a scale of 1-10, then dying in someone’s place is a 9.5, and dying in the place of someone who doesn’t deserve to be loved is a flat out 10. Jesus did that for me, and for you. Then He asked each of us to follow His example and give our lives up in order to help others be more loved and more alive.
There might be two major ways to give your life up for the sake of God or others. One way is all at once, some form of love-based martyrdom. The other way is to die one decision at a time, one loving action at time. (Like washing the dishes for Linda, when I’d rather watch a TV program.)
Jesus said that dying for others leads to great joy. I don’t think He felt much joy in Gethsemane, but the scriptures say “He endured the cross for the joy that awaited Him.” That would be the joy of pleasing the Father. So if I sacrifice something I want, I bring joy to the Lord, and He promises that joy will grow and boomerang.
Notice Jesus calls the joy ‘His joy.’ There’s nothing sweeter than His joy becoming my joy too. That joy is my strength. Laying down my life brings joy to Jesus, to Father God and to me. Eventually, joy will be spilling over and splashing on everyone.
11 “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 15:11, NLT)
Life-challenge: Are you willing to watch today for a chance to give someone life and love? If so, expect joy.