Just as I have loved you, so you must love one another

Mimicking Your Father

A father experiences tremendous joy when he sees his child mimic him.

I remember my son lathering his face with shaving cream that was 2 inches thick, long before he had facial hair.

I personally found tremendous joy knowing that my son was trying to be like me.

When we look at Jesus, we see that he only did what he saw the Father doing (see John 5:19). 

He too, mimicked his Father.  It’s what sons do. 

What is the Father’s Heart?

If there is one thing that the Father is known for, it is for his sacrificial love that he has lavished on us in the hope to restore the broken relationship between mankind and himself (see Romans 5:8). 

Why did the Father send his Son?

He sent his Son, to serve as a mediator between the Father and man (see 1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus purposed to restore the relationship between his Father and mankind by being that mediator.

A New Commandment

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

What was the Old Commandment?

Loving Restoration into the Lives of People

It is with a restorative heart that we are to love one another.

Love Is a verb. It is something that you do. 

We are to love with restoration in mind.

This is how you mimic Jesus.  

Just as Jesus loved restoration into the lives of people, so also are we to love restoration into the lives of people.

Purposing to Restore People

What if we, like Jesus, purposed to restore people?

What if we were to look for opportunities to restore what has been taken from them? 

But in practical terms, what would that even look like? 

David  restored Mephibosheth to his rightful place at the King’s table. 

Who in your life needs to be restored? 

How might you bring restoration to your marriage, your place of business, your colleagues, a friend who is going through a divorce, or even your own children? 

How does one approach life with a restorative mindset when every need is different?

What Does Restoration Look Like?

Look around and ask yourself, “What is broken?” 

Now ask yourself, “What would it look like unbroken?” 

Honestly, it may be hard to have the faith to believe that restoration is even possible for a given situation, but let’s just say that it were possible, what would that look like? 

What would it look like completely restored?  Now, take that picture that you have in your head, and make it your purpose do everything you can to bring that to fruition. 

THAT is what “love one another just as I have loved you” looks like.

This is what having a restorative mindset looks like. 

Are you beginning to see what Jesus meant when he said, “Just as I have loved you, so also, you must love one another”?

Thinking Like the Father

This was the approach Jesus took in everything he did.  This was how he thought, and why not?  He knew that when he expressed the heart of the Father, nothing was impossible (see Luke 1:37).

When you truly embrace the heart of the Father you will start thinking like the father, and in turn, you will start doing as the father would, just like Jesus did.  Not only will your life forever change, but also the lives of those you purpose to restore, just as the Father has restored you.