Scripture: John 15: 8-11

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Consider:

I was listening to a podcast last night as I got ready for bed. In the podcast, there were three generations of sports reporters, one from the 90s, one who rose up during the 00’s, and one who is getting his feet on the ground in the last few years. The oldest one was reminiscing about meeting his sports writing heroes - the guys who covered Ali vs. Foreman or the epic New York Jets win in Super Bowl III. These men were heroes in his eyes, the men he wanted to be when he started working.

The second podcaster said - I know this will make you uncomfortable, but you are that guy for us. We looked up to you the way you looked up to those guys. You were the person we wanted to grow up to be.

I could audibly hear how uncomfortable that made the oldest writer. You could physically hear this discomfort in the silence. This man could wax poeticallly about the men he looked up to, could not to accept similar words of praise. It was too much for him to handle.

How are you at accepting words of love or affection? Jesus promises here to love you always, all the time. From birth to death and into the life everlasting, Jesus’ words of love echo throughout your life time.

My guess is that brings you more discomfort than comfort. It makes you more uneasy than fulfilled. We are not very good at accepting words of love or affirmation.

But what if those words are true? What would happen if we let them sink into our hearts and our souls? I bet we’d find they give us strength and courage to face the day.

So, hear those words to you - and sit with them. Jesus loves you.

Jesus loves you.

Respond:

Think back on the last time someone showed you words of affirmation or affection. How did you respond? Did you hear them as true, or dismiss them because it made you uncomfortable or too vulnerable?

Write down three ways someone has shown you love in your recent memory. Then, allow those words to sink into your heart and muscles and bones. How does it feel? Do they feel true?

Because they are. Let them become the lens through which you see yourself.

Pray:

Dear God, we have heard the words, “Jesus loves me” so many times, yet we let the narrative of shame and guilt cloud our vision. Help us to hear those words as true. Let them sink into our heart and our bones to become the way we see ourselves today and everyday. Amen.

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