A devotional by Wendy Wilson Spooner
“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” – John 13:34-35 (KJV)
Jesus Christ was the perfect example of staying on the path of discipleship. He showed us the ultimate way to live: His way.
Three important milestones mark the road of Biblical discipleship.
Milestone #1: Love your enemies.
Love is certainly the defining attribute of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Mosaic command was to love the Lord with all your heart, might, mind and strength. But Christ’s personal teachings went deeper and extended the commandment to love your enemies as well. Ultimate love was shown when Jesus laid down his life for his friends, His disciples, the lost, you, me, and even the very worst of sinners.
Milestone #2: Feed His sheep.
In Romans 10:14 (KJV), disciples and followers of Christ were taught, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” In Christ’s time, early believers made a world of difference when they opened their mouths, testifying and sharing the good news that Jesus died for our sins and rose form the dead that we might all have eternal life.
Milestone #3: Endure to the end.
Hebrews 3:12-13 (KJV) says, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Enduring to the end means doing your best to stay faithful to the last day, in keeping God’s commandments, believing in His Word, and having faith amidst even the worst of trials.
The early disciples of Jesus Christ were brave and courageous testifiers in an incredibly barbaric time in the history of this earth. What we can learn from them will surely help us in our day.
These same three important milestones mark the road of present-day discipleship.
Milestone #1 (revisited): Love your enemies.
This is a big one in our day. With our nation (for those of us here in the United States of America) seemingly divided on many topics, where and how do we show love for our enemies? Some of us have the opportunity daily to practice. Many find success by being kind on social media, standing for Christ without guile in the midst of an anti-Christian workplace, and by turning the other cheek when persecuted by hostile neighbors.
Milestone #2 (revisited): Feed His sheep.
Belief in Christ cannot exist without knowledge of Him. Maybe this is why Isaiah 52:7 (KJV) says, because salvation comes only from hearing the gospel, the feet of those who bring it are beautiful. My painted toenails do kind of make my feet beautiful, but I don’t think this is what the apostle Paul was getting at. In his day, the common footwear was sandals. Dirty feet were part of everyday life. But imagine receiving the good news from someone like Paul, who was so committed to sharing the gospel that he gave his life for the very cause. That’s beautiful. And to those who were saved because of Paul’s efforts, I’m sure it was a beautiful sight to see his feet approaching.
Milestone #3 (revisited): Endure to the end.
What does it mean to endure to the end today? It hasn’t changed over time. It still means to have faith that God will carry us through the worst of trials, that keeping the commandments matters for our happiness and others, and that the atonement of Jesus Christ will make everything right in the end.
Are we disciples today? I know countless people who are. And we can bring more into the fold before the second coming of our Savior (Jesus Christ). How can we best show Jesus that we follow Him and love Him?
By bringing others unto Him.
We become true disciples of Jesus Christ when we learn to live for others. God is the director of the work in which we are engaged. He knows sometimes the path is overgrown with weeds, or that it’s so dark we will stumble for a time. But we belong to Him.
We are His, and He will help us every step of the way.
Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, help us stay on the path leading back to you. When we stray, aid us in quickly returning to avoid getting lost. And Father, help us guide others to you and your path, that many of your sons and daughters can return arm-in-arm, strengthened together by each other’s fortitude. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
*Note from Alexis: Wendy’s devotional message today reminds me of this song “How Beautiful” by Twila Paris. Listen to it here.
~*~
Author Bio:
Wendy Wilson Spooner, Lic. G., LCoT, is a professional Genetic Genealogist by day, a writer by night, and an artist in between.
Wendy writes about family, faith, grief, art, and overcoming obstacles in life by coming to know who we really are—children of God, and, the descendants of remarkable people who paved the way for us—even if they really struggled. She believes in learning from ancestors, honoring them, and then standing on their shoulders to become someone even better.
As an award-winning author of professional articles and poems, Wendy Wilson Spooner turned to novel writing to share what she knows with a greater audience. When she is not writing or researching, she currently serves as National Vice Chair for Daughters of the American Revolution over Art & Sculpture in the annual American Heritage contest. She also serves as Chairman of the Advisory board for Century Vital Records in Bengaluru, India.
Wendy loves to read, hike, paint, travel, binge on Bollywood movies, and spend time with her greatest loves—her family.
Her debut novel, Once Upon an Irish Summer, released April 3, 2020. It has been a best-seller in the several different genres. She’s looking forward to releasing book two in the series!
~*~
Connect with Wendy:
Website: https://wendywilsonspooner.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3lpNZSY
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorWendyWilsonSpooner/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wendy_W_Spooner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyspooner/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-wilson-spooner-07741249/
I've come to realize that anyone who finds it difficult to love his or her enemy cannot love God with all his heart and soul in tough times.
ReplyDelete