At Home in Jesus’ Love
John 15:5, 7-10 MSG 5 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. 7 But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. 8 This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9-10 I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.”
This scripture passage is one I return to again and again. My heart is always stirred as I read through verses 5-8. It speaks to the inner most desires of my heart – being joined with Christ through an intimate & organic relationship, yielding an abundant harvest, making myself at home with him, having his words at home in me, knowing my prayers are listened to and acted upon, maturing as his disciple.
An even more intense longing enters my heart as I read on through 9 and 10. I am loved by Jesus in the same way God loved him. He invites me to make myself at home in his love. What an invitation! This is where I want to be! How do I enterand remain in his home of abundant love, intimacy, connection, safety, joy, and peace? It seems to be contingent on my adherence to his commands which are summed up into two – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Do I to strive to earn my spot in this wonderful haven of love through my behavior or is Jesus inviting me to simply enter in and open my heart so his love can fill and surround me? Slowly, gently, he does the work, conforming my heart to his. His desire to be my first and greatest love and his love for all people become mine. I live more as I was created to live and love more as I was created to love. I am home.
Prayer: Jesus – thank you for your incredible invitation to be at home in your love! I accept! Help me to more fully lean into and enjoy my relationship with you. Give me peace in knowing you are at work in me, conforming my heart to yours. Thank you that I am intimately at home in your love now and forever. In your name I pray, amen.”
– Lisa Brown