Love That Stays To The End
A gentle soak that lifts the stain, a picture of the Spirit’s love softening hard moments.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Photo Credit: Unsplash
John 13:1 tells us that Jesus knew His hour had come, and He loved His own to the end. T. Austin-Sparks holds up that scene and says, this is the core of real ministry. Love is not an accessory. Love is the life. Without it, the strain of differences and demands will wear us down. With it, the ordinary becomes holy.
I need that reminder. People are not projects. They are the ones the Lord loves. The disciples were a mixed crew, quick to argue and slow to understand, yet Jesus kept serving. He moved toward them with a steady heart. That same Spirit lives in us. He is more than able to carry us through conversations that tug at patience and moments that press our limits.
This reading also exposes a quiet temptation. It is easy to treat the work of God as something we take up on the outside. Jesus shows another way. Ministry is the outworking of love, the overflow of knowing Him. When love is the center, we can be treated like servants without becoming resentful. We can be asked for more without turning sour. Love gets above what people are, and keeps moving toward them for their good.
So here is the invitation today. Live from union with Jesus. Let His love set the pace. When expectations pile up, when someone is difficult, when you feel unseen, look where He is and remember how He loves. That is where real victory lives.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I set your eyes on the Son who loved His own to the end. Abide in My love. As the Father has loved Him, so He loves you. I pour the love of God into your heart. The fruit I grow is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
I shape the mind that was in Jesus. Count others more significant than yourself. Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. The love of the Messiah controls you, because One died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and was raised. Walk in love as Christ loved you and gave Himself up for you. Let brotherly love continue. Outdo one another in showing honor. Be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
I make you a servant without bitterness. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve. Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. The Lord’s servant is not quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. Keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through Him.
Scripture references: John 13:1, John 15:9 to 12, Romans 5:5, Galatians 5:22 to 23, Colossians 3:12 to 14, Philippians 2:1 to 5, 2 Corinthians 5:14 to 15, Ephesians 5:2, Hebrews 13:1, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:2 to 3, Mark 10:45, James 1:19, 2 Timothy 2:24 to 25, Colossians 4:6, 1 Peter 4:8 to 10, Colossians 3:17, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6 to 11.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of soaking a stained shirt in a basin. Scrubbing harder only grinds the fibers. When the shirt rests in a gentle solution, the stain begins to lift and the fabric is spared. Love at work through the Holy Spirit is like that. When I yield to the indwelling Spirit of Jesus, His love soaks the moment. The harshness that I would bring starts to release, and the relationship is treated with care.
Try this today. Before you answer that edgy email, pause and whisper, Lord, I trust You to let Your love soak this moment and speak through me with patience and truth. Then write your reply with a calm tone, a clear boundary if needed, and a kindness that fits the Lord you carry.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for joining me to Jesus who loves to the end. Thank You that Your Spirit pours love into my heart and equips me to serve without resentment. I receive this day as a place for Your love to overflow in ordinary conversations and difficult moments. Lord, I trust You to love through me in each demand and each interruption, with the patience and strength of Your Son.