Takeaways

Jesus and the disciples are gathered together over a meal. He is troubled because one of them will betray Him. Once the betrayer leaves, He gives the disciples more insight into the coming days and a new commandment to love one another just as He has loved them.

This scenario reminds us of the principle of incremental growth. As the disciples have gotten to know Jesus, their belief has grown, and they understand God’s love more. But not all the disciples grow at the same speed or level.  

Obviously, Judas grew very little and betrayed Jesus. Jesus never stopped loving him, but his choices led him away from Jesus.

Peter exhibited great devotion, detoured to deny Jesus, and ultimately laid down his life for Christ.  

Even Jesus, in His human nature, shows us a deep dependence on His Father along His journey in walking with God while being human. 

How does understanding this principle of incremental growth help us live in the love God desires?

1. It helps us be more gentle with ourselves.  Our society wants everything to be fast, and we often expect ourselves to be more devoted and spiritually mature than we are.  If our desire is to keep growing, we can be patient as God continues to transform us to look more and more like Jesus.

2. It helps us be more patient and humble in our relationships with others. We are often tempted to wish others around us would be more spiritually aware and mature. This wish can lead to annoyance, pride, or even relational breakdown. We become more humble and patient if we understand that God is at work in them AND is working on us. Our level of intimacy may change, but our love and humility can remain.

3. It informs our prayer life. It allows us to pray for ourselves and others to see more of Jesus today – one day at a time.  We can pray for God to glorify Himself in specific situations, especially the hard ones.

Everything in our walk with God happens incrementally.  Be comforted by this. Rejoice in this.  Love more deeply because of this. 

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Reflection Prompters

1. How do you think Jesus felt at Judas’ betrayal?

2. What incremental growth have you observed in the disciples so far?

3. In what ways is God working in you to grow incrementally?  What progress have you seen in your own life?

4. Picture someone with whom you have a difficult relationship. Can you trust that God is at work in them incrementally and in you? Spend time praying for them (and yourself!) to see Him glorified in the relationship.  Your love and humility toward them may not mean you relate at the same level of intimacy as with others you can entrust yourself to, but you can still demonstrate God’s love to them.

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5. Truths to write down, meditate on, and pray over:

• Incremental growth means we are understanding Jesus better and loving Him and others more deeply over time.
• Accepting the principle of incremental growth helps me be more patient and humble.
• God is at work in others, even those with whom I have a difficult relationship.
• I can love like Jesus by rejoicing in the incremental growth I see in the lives of others.
• (From the worship set) I depend on You. I depend on You.  🎶