Do as I Do
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” – John 15:9-11
I learn best by example, so when my coach would join us in a drill or be the example of a new skill, I learned much more quickly. I could watch how she performed each portion and then copy what she did to learn myself.
One of the most unique aspects of our Christian faith is that Jesus Christ came to earth and provided an example of how to live. In John 15, Jesus tells us how to love others. He tells us to follow His example, and we will have joy. One clear example of how Jesus tells us we will receive joy is by obeying His commandments. His words are not empty here, as He is the perfect example of following the commands of His Father.
It’s good that we have a book to tell us how Jesus lived so that we can know how to handle situations in our lives. Like many others, I had the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelet when I was young. It was a constant reminder that we are called to live as much like Jesus as possible. We are called to love the ones He loved, to follow the commandments that God set forth for us, and to desire a personal relationship with God just like Jesus showed us. In Scripture, Jesus teaches us how to pray (Matthew 6:5), how not to judge (John 8:1-11), and even to seek quiet time with God (Mark 1:35).
All these are just a few examples of how Scripture is our ultimate guide to learning to be more like Christ. As our Scripture verse says, we should follow the commandments laid out before us because following them will bring us true joy.
- What is one commandment that is hard for you to follow?
- Do you have a favorite story about Jesus? Why are you drawn to it?
- How do you think following commandments can produce joy?
“Abba Father, what a joy it is to follow the commandments You gave us. We cannot thank You enough for the grace You give us each day when we fail to listen. You have given us Your Son as a living example of how to live in the right relationship with You; give us the wisdom to seek Christ each day. Amen.”
