How much do you love Jesus?

So, I was sitting in the church office looking for a new thought provoking one-liner for next weeks bulletin. I have pages of them to look through. I skimmed around and flipped the pages hoping something would catch my eye. About page number 12, I came across one that made me stop...

...If Jesus were to ask you, "Do you love Me?", most of us would probably respond as Peter did in (John 21), "Lord, You know I love You!" But then if Jesus were to look at you in the eye and ask, "How much do you love Me?", what would you say? Maybe you'd be one to say, again like Peter (Luke 22), "Lord, I'm ready to go to prison and to the death for you."

Take half a minute to reflect on the truth of this statement...

"You love Jesus, as much as you love the person you love the least."

Ouch.

Jesus said, "“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:36, 45)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God somthing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant…he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8)

What is holding us back? Bitterness? Pride? Let's take that step to learn to die to ourselves... our own selfish desires... our own feelings... our own pride; and learn to love as Christ would have us to love - unconditionally.

It could be that the Holy Spirit is whispering in your ear, “So you’ll die a martyr’s death for me, but, will you die to yourself to love ____________?"

So, how much do you love Jesus? Who have you loved the least in the last week? Can you sense God calling you to die to yourself in order to love this person with the love of Jesus?

Hannah

http://www.hannahseale.blogspot.com/