Being the Disciple That Jesus Loves

I have learnt recently that there is a difference between saying "I am the Disciple that Jesus Loves" versus "I am the Disciple that loves Jesus". The former focuses on the love that Jesus has for him but the latter focuses on his love for Jesus.

Well... there is nothing really wrong in us proclaiming our love for God.... in fact the psalmists is always singing songs of praise and adoration to the Lord. But the difference between a love that lasts and a love that may falter lies in whose love we focus on.

In the Bible... the Lord always teaches us to focus on Him being the one who can sustain and empower us. 1 John 4:10 says that "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us....". The focus that the Holy Spirit is drawing us to see is on Himself and the Love that He can and meant to give to each of us.

In the Bible, Peter boasted about his own love for God in a way that his placed his confidence on his own love rather than on the great love of God for him. In Matthew 26:33, Peter said "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will". Seeing that Peter said it in the flesh... Jesus immediately said "I tell you the truth...... you will deny me three times".

John, the Disciple that Jesus loves, on the other hand remained rested in Jesus's bosom when Jesus said that someone in their midst will betray him. It was Peter... who boasted about his love for God who had to ask John to ask Jesus who it is that will betray him. John remained close to the Lord, unshaken and undeterred when he stood at the foot of the cross with Mary.
What gave John the strength and the courage to do so? The continual revelation of Jesus's love for him.

Do you want to be full of God's life in you?

Ephesians says this.."... that you being rooted and established in love, may have the power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Friends, when we focus on the love that Jesus has for us... we will be rested and confident that in everything we do, the Lord will work it out for our good, both in the good times as well as in the bad times. And the growing in this revelation of God;s love for us will fill us to the measure of all of God's fullness in our lives.

When trouble comes.... we know that the Lord loves us deeply and will stand alongside with us. When we fall... we know that the Lord still loves us so much that He will lift us up to walk with Him in victory again!

He has first loved and provided for us all that we need in life when He died and finished the work on the cross.

What a wonderful God we serve! Let's grow each day, hearing more and learning more about how much the Lord loves us. God bless!