Do you love me? Follow me.

John 21:15-19

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

Lord,
"Do you love me?"
It's the question you ask everyday.
"Chris, do you love me?"

It's a question that cuts to the quick.
In the ways you treat your family,
do you love me?
In the ways you do your job,
do you love me?
In the ways you treat your neighbors,
do you love me?
In the ways you treat those you despise,
do you love me?
In the ways you treat those who hurt you,
do you love me?
In the ways you manage your money,
do you love me?

Do you love me more than these?

What am I supposed to say, Lord?
You know my love.
You know my failures to love, and be loving.
You know the places I need to grow in love --
tough love,
gracious love,
gentle love,
forgiving love,
generous love.

Then you say,
"Feed my sheep;
tend my lambs."

It's not enough to say,
"Lord, I love you."
Loving you must be lived out in loving others.
And that's the hard part.

Then you say,
"Follow me."
That is how we learn to love
by following you,
loving like you do,
forgiving like you do,
challenging like you do,
serving like you do,
giving of ourselves freely like you do.

Lord, help me love
as you love today.
Amen.