Today I will reflect on, so that I may act upon, the command to love through sacrificial service. I can “die” to myself daily, that is, to think less of myself and more of others, and in small ways answer this call.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends*.
NIV
Today I will look for opportunities for sacrificial service as I approach God’s altar that celebrates the ultimate sacrifice.
*The word “friend” (and friendship) is found 71 times in the New Testament. Who is a “friend” and what does it mean to lay down one’s life? John 15 is about a relationship with Christ (overall, as branches to the vine). Friend has various meanings and we should look at the word in context to fully understand it in this passage. Jesus is talking to His disciples who have been following Him for a considerable time and have been given what Jesus has learned from His Father. Similarly, “one’s life” may refer to the soul, heart, or mind of a person, not just the physical being. Taken literally, this passage might suggest that we stop a bullet for a stranger. I understand this more narrowly to refer to serving others, in many different ways and at different levels, and particularly to those who have sought a relationship with Christ.
Image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay
