Service

Do we really love Jesus? In John 21:15-19 Jesus poses a question to Peter which we should also use as a sort of "self-evaluation." Jesus asked, "Do you Love me?" I'm sure that all of us would probably respond the way Peter did and say "Lord of course we love you!" But Jesus presents us with a sort of evaluation point for our love for Him when he replied with, "Feed my sheep."

Where is our walk with the Lord? Do we really, and I mean REALLY love Him? Jesus points out to us the importance of service when it comes to our love and heart for Him. It appears that maybe Peter didn't get it initially because Jesus asked him again, "Do you Love me?" This actually frustrates Peter a bit as he comes back with the same answer to which Jesus replies "Tend my sheep."

I have come to realize that if we are to really take a good look at this test we can realize that is not only a test for our love for Jesus but the entire "Golden Rule" of loving the Lord your God with all of your being and also loving others (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27). Jesus also reminded us that to love and serve in that manner towards others that it would ultimately be like doing it to Him (Matthew 25:40). So where are you at in your service towards your friends, your church, your community? What about your Family? Is there stress in your relationship with your spouse and is the love in that relationship hurting? Husbands where are you in your service towards your wife? Wives where are you in your service towards your husband? Has our relationships become so "inward focused" and become about ourselves that we miss the most important part of servicing others? Over the years I have come to realize that this kind of love and service is something that has to be developed and exercised or it becomes dull. It all comes down to the fact that when you love others by serving them, your love for them grows stronger.

Jesus asked Peter a third time "Do you love?" to which Peter replied "You know everything... You know I love You!" Jesus again came back to saying "Feed my sheep." Hey then tells Peter about his coming death and what kind of sacrifice he will have to make in order to show this kind of love. This is at the very heart of Jesus as He laid down His life in service for us. His entire earthly ministry was based in service and sacrificing Himself for us. Just as He told us in John 15:13 that the greatest love is about laying down our lives.

Jesus sums up his conversation with Peter by saying "Follow me." Jesus is that ultimate example of love and sacrifice. When we go through the Gospels we can see how He was constantly about serving others. It is so important in our lives to sit down and have true fellowship with Jesus in prayer and reading the word so that we can take in that love, that sacrifice, and that service and then walk it out.

Where are we at with this? How are we with being a service to our spouse? to our children? to our parents? to our siblings? to our other family members? to our friends? to our neighbors? to our co-workers? to people that we encounter out of the blue and may never see again? Has our relationships been more focused in on ourselves or is about the other person? I think if we were to really take the time to sit down and be honest with ourselves we might be surprised at what our true motives are. If we were to let God truly talk to us and in turn really listen to what He has to say we might be surprised at what we hear.

So I think I'm going test myself a bit here and let God speak to me no matter how I may not like what I hear initially... what about you?