Go and produce what lasts

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"Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your good health has vanished."
(Og Mandino)

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12-17)

The same way Christ loved us - is it possible to love that much? I don't believe Jesus would have told us to do so if he wouldn't also empower us to love in such a manner. How does one actually lay down their life for another? Does it always require physical death? I don't believe Jesus would have told us to all die - he might want us to have the attitude of heart and mind that considers the other person's need as 'worthy' of being met, not just our own need. We have no issue with meeting our own needs, but when another expresses their need, do we always realize we could be instrumental in helping to meet it?

Whatever we ask for - could it be that Jesus wants us to take the needs of each other before him more than we take our own? I think Jesus wants us to look out for each other, knowing that some will not be able to bring their needs to him as well as we can. At times, we see the other's need better than they do, but if we don't 'lay down our life' to bring those needs before Jesus, what good does it to just 'see them'? Perhaps the greatest thing we could do for each other is lift one another in prayer each day - knowing there will be things that challenge our consistency, interfere with our willpower, and become too hard for us to handle alone.

When we have another so 'dedicated' to showing us the love of Christ, we should treasure that relationship. There are many who give 'lip service' to our needs, promising to pray for us, but those who put 'feet' to their prayers, coming alongside, lending a hand, and being the hands and feet of Christ to us are most valuable indeed. We are appointed to go and produce lasting fruit. I believe we do this whenever we bring the love of Christ into the relationship. Love lasts long after the action is done. Just sayin!

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