Shedding a Little Light

“Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John 3: 24

“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you.’” John 15: 1-4

Keeping the letter of the law in the commandments is not so difficult but keeping the Spirit of those commandments can be very challenging at times. We may not commit actual murder, but do we kill someone’s esteem with our thoughts or words? Do we put people in their graves with one deadly glance? Do we embellish stories until they are more like lies than truth? Do we end up coveting because we gossip about someone because we are jealous of what they have and wish it for ourselves? Are we truly thankful for what we have and praise God for being even more generous with others? The answers to these questions and others like it can reveal ugly truths about us. These are the parts within us that God wants to prune out. Pruning can be painful, but it also allows us to grow more beautiful in the eyes of our Lord. Just like plants that have been pruned, we can bloom better and produce better fruit. In this way Jesus remains in us and we can hold Him in our hearts. We too can be within Jesus, and He can hold us in His heart! Just imagine being held inside of Jesus! Truly resting in the Lord!

Maybe this week it would be good for us to review the ten commandments and reflect on their deeper meaning instead of just the obvious literal meanings. Go deeper into the Spirit of these commands so that you can become even more of what God wants from you. Abiding in the Spirit of the Law will help you …

…keep living in the Light!