Thoughts from the Journey: THE PLAYGROUND
Thoughts from the Journey
The Playground
Have you ever had the chance to sit and listen to kids playing at a playground? I live near an elementary school, so I hear it every morning. Amid the chaos and loud volume of kids screaming, laughing, and playing, there’s a sense of order and joy coming from that playground. It’s not just an environment but a kind of microculture, shaped by age, ethnicity, gender, and family background. Yet, among these differences, one sound stands out: the sound of euphoric energy and joy. Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to hear testimonies from a few students who had recently been on a mission trip. Two of them shared things that made me think more deeply about their experiences during service. The first student said that as followers of Christ, we need to “love loudly,” emphasizing that Christ's love should not be controlled or sparingly given, but shared generously and without holding back. I liked those two words—“love loudly”—and then, the second student shared a verse I’ve heard many times before. It was from John 15:9-13. For quick reference, I’ll share it with you:
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
The verse that caught my attention was verse 10a: “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love.” I thought to myself, " That sounds pretty conditional, yet I know that God’s love is unconditional. The week before that Sunday had been a tough week for me, struggling with my sin nature, so hearing that verse, I couldn't help but think my obedience to God had failed once again, like so many other times in my walk with Christ. Then, a thought crossed my mind: “Maybe I should just stop the 40-year charade and consider myself a lost cause, defective, not a chosen child.” Before any of you say that it’s Satan whispering in my ear, I know his strategies well. But Satan isn’t the only deceiver; we can deceive ourselves just as easily. Yet, somewhere between “love loudly" and John 15:10, the Spirit showed me something. How do I know it was Spirit-led? Because He simply pointed me back to Jesus. Much like Elijah in the wilderness with the raven bringing him food, He gave me the nourishment of insight: Christ’s love isn’t just an emotion; it’s what you experience—it’s the culture of His kingdom. He is the King, and like all kings, He governs with commands that shape a culture he’s known for. When we obey His commands, we enter a culture that “loves loudly,” which in turn deepens our love for our King. There are times, like last week, when we don’t obey His commands and love ourselves more than we love Him. When that happens, we drift away from that culture, only to find ourselves empty and longing again. We can end up on the outside of love, feeling ashamed of our wandering and embarrassed by our pride. But here’s the beauty of His love: God doesn’t hold back His love because we don’t obey His commands. We aren’t able to fully experience His love until we experience His commandments, which create the culture of His love. Obedience allows love to be experienced through those commands. That’s the only way to stay in His love; outside of this, there is no true love. That is what the “if” truly means in verse 10.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
The verse that caught my attention was verse 10a: “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love.” I thought to myself, " That sounds pretty conditional, yet I know that God’s love is unconditional. The week before that Sunday had been a tough week for me, struggling with my sin nature, so hearing that verse, I couldn't help but think my obedience to God had failed once again, like so many other times in my walk with Christ. Then, a thought crossed my mind: “Maybe I should just stop the 40-year charade and consider myself a lost cause, defective, not a chosen child.” Before any of you say that it’s Satan whispering in my ear, I know his strategies well. But Satan isn’t the only deceiver; we can deceive ourselves just as easily. Yet, somewhere between “love loudly" and John 15:10, the Spirit showed me something. How do I know it was Spirit-led? Because He simply pointed me back to Jesus. Much like Elijah in the wilderness with the raven bringing him food, He gave me the nourishment of insight: Christ’s love isn’t just an emotion; it’s what you experience—it’s the culture of His kingdom. He is the King, and like all kings, He governs with commands that shape a culture he’s known for. When we obey His commands, we enter a culture that “loves loudly,” which in turn deepens our love for our King. There are times, like last week, when we don’t obey His commands and love ourselves more than we love Him. When that happens, we drift away from that culture, only to find ourselves empty and longing again. We can end up on the outside of love, feeling ashamed of our wandering and embarrassed by our pride. But here’s the beauty of His love: God doesn’t hold back His love because we don’t obey His commands. We aren’t able to fully experience His love until we experience His commandments, which create the culture of His love. Obedience allows love to be experienced through those commands. That’s the only way to stay in His love; outside of this, there is no true love. That is what the “if” truly means in verse 10.
Like the playground where kids experience joy and are reflected in their verbal expression. God’s kingdom loves loudly, and all we need to do is return and keep learning that, ultimately, the only place we truly want to be is with Him. We all wander—I’ve done it more than once—but we have a Savior who searches and cares for His lost sheep.
Luke 15:4-6: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”
Luke 15:4-6: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”
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