Being Still

Today is a Day of Reflection for me - a "God day" - a day when I commit myself to seekng the Lord, listening, searching God's Word, resting in Him, yearning to hear from Him. It began with John 17, the chapter my small group will discuss this week. The intensity increased as I realized Jesus' prayer for future believers (that would be me!):

May Beth and the believers in her life be brought to complete unity to let the world know that God the Father loves them as much as he loves His Son, whom he gave up on the cross for their sake. (personalized 17:23)

So it's all about love. It's all about letting the world know that God loves them, that He sent His Son to demonstrate his Love. Love in the form of a baby, gentle and dependent on others to care for him. Love in the form of a man who laid down his life for his friends. Love in the form of a servant, who washed the feet of his disciples. Love in the form of healing for those who believe in Him, the Son of God. Love in the form of a man who - though He was God - set aside his equality with God and tok on the very nature of servant, in human likeness, and was obedient to the Father, even to death on a cross.

Love. Agapao. Love that desires closeness. Love that is unselfish. Love that delights in another. Love that regards with favor, goodwill, benevolence. Love that is faithful. Love that acts - not stagnant, ineffective - but actively esteems, loves, indicating a direction of the will and finding one's joy in someothing or someone.

And Love. Phileo. Friendship love. God extends His phileo love to us. He applied the word phileo to Abraham, His friend, willing to give up his son if God so desired, just as God gave his one and only Son for us.

Today I commit that I love God the Father with agapao love. And I desire his phileo friendship. I desire to be called His friend.