Christian Devotional – June 6, 2022

The One Jesus Loved, Day 1

The one Jesus loved. Throughout the gospel of John, that is how John refers to himself. He doesn’t want to write his own name, so he just calls himself the one that Jesus loved. We are going to take some time going through John’s writings as he shares what it truly means to love.

Read 1 John 1:1-4. These opening verses set the stage for the rest of the book. We don’t really know what prompted John to write, but he gives this reason in verse 4. John is writing to make joy complete, not just in his life, but in the lives of his readers as well.

As someone who writes regularly, I am forced to ask why I write. I know that I am simply sharing my thoughts on the time I’ve spent with Jesus that day, but I could have that time with him (and many do) without writing and publishing it out into the world. I write because I pray that others can learn from my journey. I write because I desire to help point people to Jesus. I write because I’m being obedient to what Christ has told me.

Yet, with all that, I receive joy from writing. John shares with his readers here that writing these truths make his own joy complete. I do find joy in the writing. I appreciate the comments or thoughts left by those who rea, and I pray that God uses these words to point people to a deeper relationship with Jesus. I know the joy that Jesus brings and I seek to live in that joy in the midst of the chaos and challenges that my life holds daily.

John wrote these words to us because he found joy in Jesus. He desired for all to find that joy and then share their own message. Are you completing your joy by sharing the message and truths of Jesus Christ and his impact on your life with others? What joy are you missing out on by not sharing?