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Presented by Julie Busteed

I’ve been reflecting on John 15—on what Jesus told his disciples during his final moments with them before everything in their world changed. Before the crucifixion. Before the resurrection. They had walked with him for three years, watching his ministry unfold. It must have been an intense, exciting, and bewildering time for them. They believed he was the Messiah, yet so much was happening in ways they did not expect.

Jesus understood this. And in these last hours, he offered them words of encouragement and life—words meant for us as well. He spoke about abiding in him, remaining with him through every up and down, through every season. Relationship with him isn’t passive; like any meaningful relationship, it requires time, attention, and intention. But it is also our source of life, and he promises so much to those who stay close to him.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now 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 this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you (John 15:9–12).

To abide is to remain in his love. Jesus followed his Father’s will—even to the cross—and he invites us to follow him by obeying his commandments: to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and to love others as he has loved us. When we live in that kind of love, our desires become aligned with his, and Scripture says we can ask for anything, and it will be done.

I love the way St. Augustine puts it: “Love God and do whatever you please.”[1]

When we truly love God, obedience flows naturally and our hearts become aligned with his.

December is here, and the holiday hustle is already competing for our time and attention. My prayer is that during this busy season, you and I will still find ways to make our relationship with Christ our highest priority. It’s so easy to be pulled in a hundred directions—gifts, food, shopping, gatherings, events—all good things. But the best thing we can do is spend time with the one who laid down his life for us, the one who humbled himself and came as a baby so he could bring us salvation.

As you reflect on this truth, may your love for him deepen and your heart overflow—so much so that your family, friends, and coworkers experience his love through you.

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[1] “What is the scriptural basis for ‘Love God and do whatever you please’?” Christianity StackExchange, 2013, https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/15242/what-is-the-scriptural-basis-for-love-god-and-do-whatever-you-please.