Do You Really Love

Luke 13 :23 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

I laid in bed last night and had many topics I wanted to address but this is the one I felt God prompting me to write for the simple fact that Jesus will be exhalted, we will hopefully be stirred and our relationship will grow closer to His Son.

When you hear someone say they have a "personal" relationship with Christ what images does that conjur up in your mind? Someone who walks and talks to Jesus through the day? Maybe it means that we go to church and live a good life trying to let our light shine. Or how about daily readings of our Bibles and lot's of service work. I wish to challenge this thinking a little bit. In the above text we see the disciple whom Jesus loved leaning on His bosom. Now my contention that while service to the King is commanded we are also instructed in the following:

1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Rejoice means to be fully calm and full of cheer
Pray without ceasing means to supplicate or worship continually
In everything give thanks is to include all manners or things good or bad regardless os situation
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

While I am in no way trying to downplay any situation we may find ourselves in we must remember to fulfill 1 Thes. 5:16-18.

So what does this have to do with love you ask, well let me illustrate it this way. The disciple that Jesus loved in the above passage is John. What I find great about John is that he is right in Jesus' lap like a little child listening to the Savior's heartbeat. He so loved Jesus that he had to be close to Him. I thought about this passage last night and I thought that although I may seek to serve Jesus in every capacity there comes times when we need to go into our prayer closet's and humble ourselves and lay our heads on Jesus bosom and just weep and worship and praise him with all our being. See the story below.

Luke 10 38Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Did Jesus love Mary more than Martha? Certainly not but Mary like John needed the savior more than she needed anything else. Mary did not care if the house was dirty or her stomach was hungry she was loving Jesus. Martha was not cast aside nor scorned she was simply reminded to choose the better thing. So my challenge to you today is this. Choose Christ. Love Him, praise Him, listen to his heartbeat and see what He wants. I think you will find that He wants you.

May you throw off those troubles, those busy schedules, and everything that hinders and Worship the King today.

Jeff