DEVOTION – DAY 507

John 15:16 “To Be More Like Christ”

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

In John 15, Jesus was with His disciples. In the above verse, Jesus told His disciples that He had chosen them. In ancient times, disciples normally chose a particular rabbi or teacher to whom they wanted to study under. But that was not the case with Jesus’ disciples. Jesus reminded His disciples that He had chosen them for a purpose. It was for them to bear fruit. In the context of John 15, fruit here means the product of living a godly life, displaying more Christ-like qualities. Jesus reminded His disciples that they were chosen to be molded by Him so that they would share His same qualities. In the same way, as Christians, the closer we draw near to our Lord Jesus, the more we will obey and follow Him. He will work in us to refine us to be more and more like Him. When that happens, we will pray more and God, the Father, will hear and answer our prayers.

We knew someone who had always felt uncomfortable when she was in a new environment or when she had to meet people she did not know for the first time. Her natural response would be to appear distant and unapproachable. But God had called her into a ministry that required her to be more outgoing and to work with people she did not know. She prayed and asked the Lord to change her, to be more approachable, to be more engaging, to have greater humility. The Lord heard her prayers. She found that the more she served in the ministry, the more outgoing she became. She found it easier to connect with people if she sought to listen to people more, to keep an open mind, and to put herself in the other person’s shoes. She found she had greater empathy and often, she would offer to pray for others. Looking back, she could see how the Lord had changed her to be a better and warmer person. The Lord had worked in the very areas of her personality and life that needed to be changed. She was grateful for the opportunity to serve. She knew that the situations she was put into were opportunities for her to be changed for the better. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing us and wanting us to bear much fruit for your glory. Please help us to molded to be more and more like your Son, the Lord Jesus. We humbly ask and pray in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. What is your response when you are to serve in a new area of ministry? Do you see it as an opportunity for the Lord to mold you, or do you see it as an additional burden that you do not need?
  2. How had the Lord molded you to show more Christ-like attributes through serving Him in the past?
  3. Why is it important that Christians be molded to be more like the Lord Jesus? Discuss.