“Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.”
John 14:23-24
To be the Church, we are called to become disciples – people who don’t just proclaim a set of beliefs about God, but who actually choose to live in a way that makes the words of God come to life for others.
Jesus reminds his disciples in this passage that the mark of a true disciple is one who loves God by acting in accordance with the words Jesus spoke.
Discipleship is the commitment to give our whole selves and our whole lives to the work of God – not just on Sundays but every day of the week.
But discipleship does NOT mean that we must be perfect.
It just means we must be willing to try… to grow in God.
And when we make mistakes, a disciple says “I’m sorry” and tries again tomorrow.
We don’t always get it right. We let ourselves down. We let others down. We may even feel like we’ve let God down. But we serve a God who came to be with us to forgive. To give us second and third and fifteenth chances. To wipe the slate clean.
So maybe today, you are being invited to take God up on it.
If you didn’t keep God’s word today – God’s arms are still stretched wide, inviting you to be transformed by love tomorrow.
Our job is simply to respond to the invitation.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Kate
