Greater Love | Day 3
Podcast Intro [00:00:00]:
Are you experiencing greater things in this season? We want to hear about it. Share your story at transformation at soulcitychurch.com.
[00:00:11]:
Welcome to the greater things daily devotional where we're asking the question, God, what is the greater thing you want to do in me and through me? Wherever you are, quiet your soul and pray this ancient prayer after me. Come, Holy Spirit. This week we're meditating on greater love and what that could look like in our lives. Today's devotional is out of John chapter 15 verse 13. It says, greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. One word. Four letters. Love.
[00:01:12]:
It can inspire us, move us, ruin us, and confuse us. The problem with the word love is the multitude of meanings. It's why it makes us nervous to hear it and say it. Or maybe that's just me. From my experience, I love you is different from love you. So when you say I love you, do we mean as a friend, a family member, or lover? Surely we can't mean the same love for pizza and people. Maybe the word love isn't the problem at all. Perhaps the English language is the problem.
[00:01:57]:
Biblical scholars often talk about 4 Greek words used to explain 4 unique expressions of love. Those four words are storge, philia, eros, and agape. When God tells us he loves us, what does he mean? The word love from John 15:13 is agape. Agape is the unchanging, charitable, and selfless love. As writer and scholar C. S. Lewis says, it is the greater love. In John 15, Jesus is illustrating and explaining the interconnectedness of his love.
[00:02:44]:
In his life, Jesus' love flowed from the greater love of God the Father and overflow to those around him. The overflow of the agape love of God was seen in the sacrificial love of Christ in this world. Jesus was always giving himself to the people he encountered. This was seen through the generous compassion, generous healing, and the generous gift of his life. He gave to the individual. He gave to the masses. And ultimately, he gave to the whole world, past, present, and future through his generous love poured out on the cross. It is because of Jesus' love that people are seen, healed, forgiven, liberated, chosen, empowered, and ultimately given a transformed life.
[00:03:51]:
Perhaps it's hard to accept the reality of Jesus' audacious generosity of laying down his life for you. Yes. Jesus died for the whole world. Every person. Past, present, and future. But right now, you are the person Jesus wants his greater love to sink into, to be revealed to. He did this so that you may have a new life. A new life free from fear, shame, and scarcity.
[00:04:30]:
Jesus desires greatly for you to receive this revelation and the greater things he created for you. What does it change for you to truly know that Jesus calls you friend and lay down his life for you. How does this reality impact how you see yourself? How does it influence unresolved guilt or shame over your past mistakes? What would it look like to combat those thoughts and emotions with the truth that Jesus calls you friend and he's given his life for you? That is the good news. What if, just for today, you preach this good news about Jesus to yourself. The good news that Jesus, inspired by greater love, laid down his life, his desires, and his ways for you. Let's see how Jesus's greater love transforms you in this day. Now, I invite you to pray this prayer with me. Greater love has no one than this, To lay down one's life for one's friends.
[00:05:59]:
Father, we pause and welcome more of you. We slowly breathe in and breathe out to be fully present with you in this moment. I thank you for your love. Throughout time and history, you have shown your greater love again and again. Throughout my life, I can see the evidence of your love. I say sorry for the moments that I do not believe that your love is big enough for me to be honest about my doubts, disappointments, and frustrations about what I am waiting on you to do. I ask for your help. I ask for your strength.
[00:06:58]:
I ask for your presence to fill me with confidence in your faithfulness that you are doing greater things in my life. And remind me that even when I lack confidence, my doubts and disappointments are welcomed in my relationship with you. In Jesus' name.