Loving the Life I Live

John 13:1 (NLT)  Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He now showed the disciples the full extent of his love. Listen to the message on iTunes

Looking at Jesus in the upper room I get some “Jesus” clues about loving the life I live.

The first is a word of affirmation. “He now showed the disciples the full extent of his love.”

JESUS WANTS TO SAY “I LOVE YOU”
Jesus wants his followers to know they are known and loved. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he had around him. John 13:4-5 (NLT)

JESUS WANTS HIS FOLLOWERS TO SEE, “YOU ARE KNOWN AND LOVED”
It is hard to truly love when you are not secure in love. It is hard to have a healthy love when you are not secure in love.  No wonder we struggle with love so much. But the more we get this down, the more we will be free to love others fully and in healthy ways. We love each other as a result of his loving us first. 1 John 4:19-20 (NLT) How much the world would be different if we were secure being both known and loved.

JESUS WANTS DISCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND, “YOU ARE RELEVANT TO GOD’S PURPOSE”
Jesus knew serving was how to make a difference and taught his disciples the path of relevance.  And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. John 13:14 (NLT) Jesus shows us if we want to be relevant to God’s purpose we need to learn to handle authority. True authority will be a servant not a prima donna. Jesus gets on his knees. When we get on our knees we get off of our throne, our position of power. It is hard to love from above. Be a servant.

JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW, “YOU CAN LIVE A BLESSING”
v15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. . . 17 You know these things--now do them! That is the path of blessing.  How are you doing following his example? You know . . . now do . . . it may not always look like it, even as Jesus looks to the cross, but he assures us, this is the path of true blessing and joy.

I think that’s some clue to loving the life I live.