Better Decisions: What does love require of me?
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35 (NIV)
We often want people to tell us what to do, but the Lord wants to teach us how to think and make good decisions. When we are making decisions, we have to ask ourselves good questions. Ask the Integrity question: Am I being honest with myself? Ask the Legacy question: What’s the story I want to tell? Ask the Conscience question: Is there a tension that deserves my attention? And lastly ask the Relationship question: What does love require of me?
In John 13, Jesus gives us a new command. He establishes his love as the measure for how we should love others. Not just are we to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, we are now called to a higher standard, to love others like Jesus has loved us.
Historically, people have often operated off a “temple” mentality in their faith. A temple mentality is focused on a sacred space, sacred texts, and sacred men. A temple mentality is when we think we need to do certain things to please God. It is “you” centered. Under the temple model, we do or don’t do certain things so that God will love us, bless us, or favor us.
But we live under a better covenant, and now live with new commands. We are to love one another as Jesus loved us. Loving others is not based on a feeling, it’s an action and a command. Jesus is calling us to something higher, a life where we don’t hurt ourselves or others intentionally, a life where we love others in the same way that Jesus has loved us. Remember, whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for God (Matthew 25:35-40). We are to love one another as Jesus has loved us.
The highest degree of difficulty is simplicity. The Jesus model is less complicated, but more demanding.
If we want to make better decisions in the area of our relationships, we must ask, “What does love require of me?” This question is the essence of following Jesus.
When God answered this question, it cost Him his Son. When Jesus answered this question, it cost Him his life. So, we must ask ourselves, what does love require of us?
