Day 1
A Good Roommate
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this, we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit.
I John 4:12-13
What does it take to be a good roommate? Do you remember the first time you shared a room or a house? Roommates test character and often put our "better angels" to a "demonic" test. Someone quipped, "Living with roommates is like a box of chocolates; you never know if you're gonna get the nut!" (Just for the record, if you live with another human being, it is highly likely you will either live with or be the nut!)
John, whose nickname was "the disciple Jesus loved," often used the word "abide" to vividly describe what it means to have a meaningful, healthy relationship with God. Of course, he remembered Jesus' teaching, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
"Abide" means "to dwell in the same place or to stay together," which could translate into being roommates. With this imagery in the background, John wrote, "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit" (I John 4:12-13).
Looking back, what is the evidence that our LORD abides in us or has moved into our hearts as the best roommate ever? The proofs of His presence are His Spirit and how we love one another. Underline the lesson: love, unconditional willful love, naturally emerges from the day the Holy Spirit moves into our soul. Being filled with the Spirit stirs love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and mercy within our hearts and relationships.
Abiding in Christ has more to do with healthy, loving relationships than tattered, underlined Bibles and discipleship workbooks. As strange as that sounds, a daily quiet time that does not lead to pursuing charitable relationships may be a waste of time.
Before we put “loving others” at the top of our to-do list, I urge us to pay close attention to John's insights. John learned to love by being loved by Jesus. Remember, Jesus used the vine to illustrate what it means to abide. The phrase that jumps off the page is where He declares, "Apart from me, you can do nothing!" Genuine love materializes from an intimate partnership between His Spirit in the spiritual life of an abiding disciple.
If our relationships with others have become toxic and dysfunctional, before we blame it on sharing our lives with "nuts," we would be wise to look first at whether we are "good roommates" with the Holy Spirit who longs to fill us.
FURTHER REFLECTION:
Read Ephesians 5:18. What similarities do you see between being “drunk on wine” and “filled with the Spirit?”
Compare I Corinthians 13:4-7 and Galatians 5:22-23. Why do you believe these lists of qualities are so similar?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for abiding in my heart and soul by the presence of Your Holy Spirit. Fill my heart with Your mighty presence so my life will bear fruit in my relationships with those closest to me. Empower and teach me to love like You, especially those who test my character. Help me to be a good "roommate" by greeting You every morning and dozing off at the end of the day with You on my mind. In Jesus' name, Amen.
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Ephesians 5:15-21, I Corinthians 13
by David Lowrie