21 Days of DiscipleshipSample

From Disobedience to Dysfunction

As Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for the chain reaction of events that is about to be set in motion, He makes something really clear: Those who love Jesus listen to Jesus. 

In John 14:15 NIV, He says: “If you love me, keep my commands.” 

And again, in verse 23: “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” 

We can bank on the fact that what is repeated is important, so it’s clear that Jesus really wanted us to get this. But why? What does love have to do with obedience?

One of our Switch pastors recently said, “We’ve become so afraid of religion that we’ve settled for a dysfunctional relationship. A relationship where you never talk to, spend time with, or serve the other person is dysfunctional. It’s also dysfunctional if the only time you ever talk to them is when you want something. A loving relationship looks like trusting the other person and wanting the best for them.” 

If we have a loving relationship with Jesus, one that is healthy and functional, we will talk with Him, spend time with Him, and serve Him, not just when we want something, but often! That’s what good relationships look like. And the beautiful thing is that when we have this kind of relationship with Jesus, our trust in Him grows and our perspective shifts. We start to see our lives and the lives of others through the lens of eternity. And as we see His love for us more and more clearly, obedience will start to come naturally. 

That’s what Jesus is driving home in this chapter. He’s saying: Hey, when you understand how much my Dad and I love you and how everything that I’ve been teaching you is because I want the best for you, you will follow those teachings to a T, because you will understand that they are a gift from Me. 

Challenge: Getting to follow Jesus’ teaching is a gift, but disobedience indicates dysfunction. Is there a particular area of your life where it’s really difficult for you to learn from and live like Jesus? Maybe that highlights an area of your relationship with Him that’s currently dysfunctional. How can you, as His disciple, address that area and take a step of obedience to more fully follow Jesus?