June 24

1 John 5:1-5 (NRSV) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

I love the way John conveys his points in such a loving, logical way. What a discovery, to find that God’s “commandments are not burdensome!” Through the years, by my own experience and by knowing other people, I find the burdensome things always turn out to be the things we feel we have to grasp, to cling to, to defend…Giving ourselves over to focus on God’s love, greatness and power naturally (supernaturally!) frees us from the burdens and stressors we place on ourselves through grasping and clinging to false securities. God’s commandments are to love him with all we are – and to love people. When we do that, all the other stuff tends to fall into place!

Pastor Lisa Bosworth