Advent - John 15:10-11
John 15:10-11
10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete.
This is a beautiful couple verses about love that have only made more and more sense to me as I get older and I have become a dad.
Commandments are not necessarily about control. I see this illogical line of thinking EVERYWHERE - that advocating for rules and boundaries in life can quickly get conflated with "you want to control me/them!". I think the general population really fails to understand that the lack of boundaries doesn't make you free, it turns you into a slave of your most powerful desire. It is literally in the human-nature.
Random boundaries though are not helpful or loving... Restriction without purpose, or for the wrong reason, can put you into a situation you weren't designed to be in. I believe humans were created according to a design, and like anything else with a purpose there are appropriate ways and places to live, be, act, etc. as well as inappropriate ways and places. The appropriatedness can only be determined by the one who knows the design though.... otherwise someone is just guessing what the purposeful boundary or restriction is.
In the case of our own reality, the architect of the universe is Jesus himself, and in his divine knowledge of all of Creation he gives commandments (boundaries and regulations) that are in perfect alignment with our design and purpose
From here it sounds so simple... The commandments from the Lord come from an understanding of what is actually best for the human life. Because Jesus actually knows better than you or me when we are in line with his commandments, when we "remain in [his] love", we are more in-line with our created purpose than when we think we know better for ourselves. It's practically a law of nature that things work best when used for their created purpose, and in the human-design I think it's no different. Jesus offers the framework for the fulfilled human life - it's not attainable without the freedom to love him, but for the chosen - his joy follows love and freedom.
For who?
The life of freedom is only fully possible for whoever Jesus picks. Without him awakening your heart to love what is truely lovely and hate what is truely despicable then you'll never want anything that he offers. The understanding of "his way is better" is only possible in the mind and heart of the person whom Jesus raises to life out of the chaotic ocean of death.
Today God gives me the freedom to keep his commandments. I'll make my choice moment by moment and pray continuously that he sustains my trust in him - to ignore my dead-self's desires and instead to keep the commandments of the Lord so that my joy may be made complete