Paint Party Friday: Do You Love Me?

 "...that they may be one, as We are one- I living in them, You living in Me..." John 17:21

Jesus' ways are really far above our ways! Imagine desiring to be one with us! Jesus prayed for us to be united with Him, and with each other. And He prayed this just before He knew He was going to be arrested and taken away. He said,"I pray for those who will believe in Me..."- that's you and me! He wants this so much for us, for us to be united! Why?

Because we can't move forward without unity. We can't grow. Just like in any organization. If there is so much competition between departments and internal conflict, if there is no cooperation, people will not want to work together, won't even want to talk to each other!

I thank God for our family business! I remember when I was young, I was speaking to someone whose family had a business, and she said she would never want to be part of it! She and her parents could never see eye to eye!

 Yesterday, I could see unity and cooperation at work in our business. We were fixing up a new branch, and each one of us was doing what we knew best. My sister Meldy and niece Elyse were directing where to put what and our staff were following and working hard. My brother Robert was drawing on the glass windows. Our driver Brian was buying stuff needed, putting hooks, and hanging merchandise in hard to reach places. I was coordinating with the admin and our contractor to make sure we could open. And we were successful! Our new store is beautiful, and people were almost pleading to come in and buy! We were selling before we even officially opened!

Yes, Jesus' way is best! Unity is powerful and the enemy knows this. That's why he tries so hard to frustrate any plans for unity and cooperation! That's why we need God's Spirit to unify us!

"Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" John 21:15, 16, 17

Why did Jesus ask Peter three times if Peter loved Him? Is it because Peter denied Him 3 times? Is it to give Peter a chance to make up for His betrayal? It must have been devastating for Peter having failed the Lord! Perhaps that's why he went back to fishing. He must have been filled with remorse and guilt. He probably was so harsh on himself.

Then Jesus appears on the beach after a fruitless night of fishing. He instructs them what to do, and they catch 153 big fish. Peter then realizes it is Jesus, and he can't even fish successfully without the Lord's guidance! Peter jumps into the water to Jesus. After a breakfast of fish and bread, that is when Jesus asks Peter 3 times if Peter loves Him. Jesus knew Peter loved Him, but He wanted Peter to confess His love to restore His confidence, to reinstate His place as the leader Jesus knew he could be. Loving Jesus with phileo love, unconditional love, which is what the Lord asked of Peter, should be the starting point of our service to others. If we want to be confident to go out and help and encourage others, perhaps we need to start with confessing that we love Jesus unconditionally. Then, like Peter, who was known for his impulsiveness and his 'cowardice', we can rise above our failings and become the person Jesus knows we can be!

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