The love of Christ constrains us

‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it produces many grain’

John 12:24

Certainly, there is life present inside a grain of wheat, but the hard outer shell must be broken first if the grain is to produce fruit. But how does the casing of a grain break down? As with the story of the good soil…the right conditions are needed…soil, water, sunshine and humidity. Take note, the main question here is not is there life inside the grain of wheat? But rather, will the outer layer break to allow that life to become fruitful? You may believe in our Lord and even profess to love Him, but do you allow Him to get through your outer shell so that you may be fruitful for Him.

In the Gospel of John, our Lord continues saying, ‘He who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life’ John 12:26.  The outer layer is the temporal visible life, the cares of the world, but the inner life is our new life founded in Him. To receive fully all the blessings that God has prepared for us, the wonder of knowing Him intimately, we must release our hold on this world, and its desires, for a greater treasure. ‘Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.’(James 1:17). And so, a grain with no fruit may as well be dead.

If you yearn to keep your relationship with our Lord Jesus full of passion, you must be willing to sacrifice your comfort zones, as God calls you to. There are two groups of those who profess to love the Lord; the first are those in whom their life in God is still chained and quenched and the second group, who have truly asked God to reign in their lives and are being used greatly to build His Kingdom.

The main challenge here is not how to get God’s life but rather how to allow this life to be released and freed. Ask the Lord to give you the power and great love for Him, to accept to be broken so that His Church will be blessed.