True Followers of Jesus: Living on the Love Trail

Becky and friends on Appalachian Trail

True followers of Jesus live on the Love Trail.My friend Becky Sandrik recently completed a six-month trek on the Appalachian trail. Following her journey gave me a vision of the Love Trail.

I had the privilege of giving a devotional to open our Day of Prayer for our Orlando staff. I focused on the kind of disciples we need to be--true followers of Jesus—if we are to multiply true followers of Jesus. I called my little message The Love Trail (you can listen to it here), and here is a brief summary:

Love is a progression. It begins with God, the Trail Head, who created us for relationship and relentlessly pursued us to redeem and restore us to that relationship.

As we receive and experience that amazing love, we begin to love Him in return. He told us we would love because He loved us, and He said this is the greatest commandment: to love God with our whole being.

But God’s love is uncontainable and soon overflows us into love for others, which is the second great commandment: to love others as ourselves. Jesus added to this: Love others as I have loved you, even to laying down your life for them.

The result: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John13:35) So I am confident that our hearts must be molded to and by His love. His love flowing through us, by His Spirit, will draw people to him and multiply into movements of Spirit-filled—and love-filled--disciples.

You can actually listen to my 20-minute message here.  It was recorded on a phone, so not the best quality, with some peripheral noise.  But you can listen to it.  And maybe, like me, you will be moved to want to live on the Love Trail

What about you? Are you staying on the Love Trail?

c2016 Judy Douglass