Think True Things

Equipping women to think on true things about God, self, and the future.

Words in Red

Words in Red | John 15

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This week’s suggested reading: John 15

This week’s question(s) to ponder: What distracts you most from abiding with Jesus? What are some practical things you can do to abide in him?

Abide in Jesus. Abide in Jesus. Abide in Jesus.

Jesus says the word “abide” ten times in six verses. (John 15:4-10) Abide. Whenever we read repetitive statements in the Bible, that’s a clue that what we’re being told holds great importance. Abide. In the Greek, that word means “stay, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, tarry.” (Strong’s Concordance, G3306) Abide. And Jesus teaches that fruit grows in our lives as a result of abiding in him. Abide.

Abide means we bring him into the moments of the day. Abide means his words fill our thoughts as the minutes and hours tick by. Abide means we keep our eyes stayed on Jesus, even when the world shouts confusion. He tells us that the result of abiding in him will be fruit growing in our lives – the fruit of God which equals love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (See Galatians 5) In fact, he tells us we can’t bear fruit if we don’t abide. (John 15:4) It’s not possible.

Abide. Abide.

Yet so much pulls at our attention, demanding that we abide in a million other things. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the moment we close them in the evening, distractions invade our minutes. And a vast majority of the distractions that pull at us come from a form of technology. 

Think about it. What distracts you most from abiding in Jesus? For me, social media and the news most often distracts me from abiding in Jesus. Even as I sat down to type this post, I responded to my phone’s dinging approximately 537 times…until I finally shouted at myself, “Ignore it, Lara!” I have to purposefully turn my heart and mind away from the things of this world and onto his words. I have to purposefully take my thoughts captive to the truths of God. Otherwise I’ll find myself abiding in things that only bring fear, frustration, angst, and worry.

I’m not advocating for crawling into a hole with your family, disengaged from the pain and injustices of our day. Though that’s very tempting, that’s not our mission from Jesus. That’s not what Jesus meant when he said to abide in him. Our mission as followers of Jesus is to go into the world and love our neighbors, addressing both spiritual and physical needs. We’re called to be salt and light in this dark world. We’re instructed to go and make disciples, telling others of the good news of Jesus Christ. But we can’t do any of that effectively if we’re not abiding in him.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Abide in Jesus. 

One command: love others like Jesus loved.

In John 15:12-13, Jesus repeats the commandment he gave to his followers in John 13. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (15:12-13) Love like Jesus loved. So how did Jesus love?

Jesus loved completely and sacrificially. He gave himself. He entered into the pain of this world. He served the people around him, even those who would betray him. His love held him on a cross in order that he would die in the place of sinners. Jesus loved fully, and he commands us to do the same.

So how could Jesus love be expressed in your own life? Who might he be calling you to love like he loves – fully, sacrificially, and even when they can’t love you in return? (Questions I’m asking myself.) 

Jesus left us with one command: love. Love others as an overflow of his love in us.

Expect hatred from the world.

Jesus tells us to expect hatred from the world. He says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” (15:18) But let’s be really clear. The world hated Jesus without cause. Without cause. Without cause. Without cause. (I’m using repetition to emphasize my point.)

Too often I hear “Christians” use this expected hatred as an excuse for very unloving behavior. Here’s what I mean. Someone claiming to be a Christian says some hateful, mean, accusatory things, then says, “Well, people hate me just like they hated Jesus.” That’s NOT what Jesus is talking about.

Jesus was hated without cause. He came to give. He came to serve. He came with the message of hope and eternal life. He came with forgiveness from the Father. People (the religious people) hated him because to accept forgiveness meant acknowledging their sin of hypocrisy and idolatry. And that offended them because they no longer “had an excuse for their sin.” (15:22)

As we go into the world on a mission to love like Jesus loved, people (possibly the most “religious” people) will hate us just like they hated Jesus. His love radically crushes fake religiosity. His love destroys works-based righteousness. His love requires we die to self and live radically loving the world around us. People, often religious people, hate that.

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things

Words in Red | John 14

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This week’s suggested reading: John 14

This week’s question(s) to ponder: Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal any area of your life that’s marked with disobedience. Confess that sin to him (and possibly to a trusted friend for accountability). Ask him to forgive you and empower you to obey him in that area of your life. We all have blind spots. We all have sin we cling to. But God is good and kind. His commands are good and kind. And obedience to him truly brings life to us. (I’m preaching to myself.)

Jesus is the only way to the Father.

Years ago, after I completed my Masters in Divinity, I taught World Religions at a local community college. And one thing I realized in studying the religions of the world, Christianity has one distinct difference: a risen Savior.

Every religion has teachers. Every religion has instructions to followers. But no other religion on the planet has a risen Savior. No other religion on the planet has a Savior who came to Earth to die for the sins of man, and defeat death as Lord of all. Not one.

In John 14, Jesus explicitly says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the only way to the Father. Muhammad can’t get us to the Father. Siddhartha Gautama can’t get us to the Father. Confucius can’t get us to the Father. Laozi can’t get us to the Father. They all have some true teachings. There are some universal truths that God has revealed to mankind in “things that have been made.” (See Romans 1) But none of these religious founders can get you or me to the Creator God because they’re missing one key component: forgiveness of sins.

God teaches us from the very beginning that without the shedding of blood there cannot be forgiveness of sins. (See Leviticus 17 and Hebrews 9) That’s why he set up the animal sacrificial system in the Old Testament. This system foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice that would one day come from God Himself – the final sacrifice of the Son of God for the sins of man.

You and I can never do enough good things to reach the Father. We can’t say enough words, read enough texts, or perform enough good deeds. We’re incapable of personally bridging the chasm between us and our perfect, holy, creator God. We need a savior. We need a rescuer. And Jesus taught us that that’s exactly why he came. 

Jesus came to save us from our inevitable condemnation. He came to be the perfect sacrifice for my sin and yours. He came to make us alive in him, instead of dead in our sins! And here’s what’s crazy. We don’t receive forgiveness by doing a bunch of external things. We receive forgiveness by simply believing in Jesus! (That’s the good news termed “the gospel.”) After we’ve put our faith in Jesus, he then empowers us by God’s Spirit to do the works of love he has created us to do.

Paul explains it clearly in his letter to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) 

We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. He is the only way to the Father. And this is the grace gift of God himself. 

Obedience is evidence of our love for Jesus.

We receive forgiveness of our sins by faith in Jesus Christ. But our relationship with him doesn’t stop there. Love for Jesus and the gift of God’s grace propels us to reflect him in this dark world through obedience to his commands. In fact, obedience to his commands is directly linked to loving Jesus. You cannot separate the two. 

Jesus says it twice in John 14.

  • “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
  • “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)

Our obedience doesn’t make us righteous. Faith in Jesus’ blood sacrifice for our sins makes us righteous before a holy God. But if we love Jesus, we will long to keep his commands. It’s what love does.

Though on a much smaller scale, as a child I wanted to obey my parents because I loved them. And when I disobeyed, I felt sorrow because of that love. My love for them created in me a desire to obey. 

Any gospel teaching being preached that doesn’t include our obedience to God’s commands, isn’t the full gospel. Putting our faith in Jesus is more than insurance against going to hell. Putting our faith in Jesus is a heart posture, rooted in love and gratitude, that propels us to be light and love here on Earth…just as he commanded.

We’re all in process of working out our own salvation. We won’t be perfect, and God is tender to our human struggle. But it’s vital that we take the time to prayerfully ask God to reveal things in us things that steal the life Jesus died to give us. Because ultimately, his commands to us are good. They’re for our good, not for our harm. And obeying them truly is life for us.

The Spirit of God abides in those who believe in Jesus.

Mo blessing. Mo blessing. Mo blessing! Seriously. If forgiveness of sins and a forever relationship with Jesus isn’t enough, God also sends his Spirit to dwell WITHIN those who believe. That’s an unbelievable gift!

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

The Bible teaches that the Spirit of God himself comes to make his home within those who put their faith in Jesus. His Spirit seals us.* He guides us. He empowers us. He protects us. He ministers to us. He comforts us. He teaches us. (And sidenote, the Spirit of God is a “he” not an “it”.)

But just because we’re sealed with his Spirit, doesn’t mean we’re always filled. We as Jesus followers can grieve his Spirit within us. We can get so focused on this world – our pains, our wants, our plans, our pleasures – that we ignore his voice and follow after our selfish agenda. Paul discusses this in Ephesians 4:

“25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:25-32)

The good news is, even if we’ve grieved him, by the absolute grace of God we can also “fan into flame” the Spirit of God within us. Paul uses this phrase in his letter to Timothy:

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

How do we fan him into flame? We spend time worshipping God, reading his Word, testifying of his goodness, confessing our sins, praying continually, and fellowshipping with other believers (just to name a few ways). And when we do, his fruit grows in our lives – the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. (See Galatians 5)

Jesus didn’t leave us orphans on earth to figure life out on our own. The Father comes to make his home in us once we’ve put our faith in Jesus Christ. And that’s a priceless gift.

*The word “seal” is a permanent marking. And as a sidenote, I’ve often joked that Jesus followers may glow or something in the spirit realm once we have this seal. I’m not so sure it’s a joke anymore. I’m thinking there may be some truth to that. But I guess we’ll find out one day.

Satan rules this world, but his time is limited.

In John 14:30-31, Jesus says, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.”

We live in a spiritual world. We’re taught throughout Scripture that there are spiritual beings – good and evil – all around us. And this John 14 text isn’t the only time we learn that Satan rules this world. 2 Corinthians 4:4 describes him as the god of this world, “4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Then in Ephesians 2 we read, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Satan currently rules this world. He is a deceiver, oppressor, liar, stealer, and hater. His influence upon the heart of man is pure evil. But his time is limited. Jesus will come again to judge. And Satan will be eternally damned. He knows his time is short. And he knows that Jesus wins.

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things

Words in Red | John 13

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This week’s suggested reading: John 13

This week’s question(s) to ponder: Spend some time this week making a list of scriptures that define your identity in Christ. Then commit to meditating on those truths. Which characteristics of your identity in Christ do you want to focus upon in this season of your life?

Jesus knew first. Then he served.

John 13 opens with the scene described as “The Last Supper.” Other biblical authors detail their perspectives of this same dinner in Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-38, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. (I encourage you to take some time to read the different perspectives of this dinner.)

We learn some key things right away from this John text, “1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ” (John 13:2-4, emphasis is mine.)

I wasn’t going to include this point in my commentary. But on my final read of the text before hitting publish on this post, this thought jumped out at me, “Jesus knew.” Jesus knew his hour had come to die. He knew that the enemy had already enticed Judas to betray him. And he knew where he had come from and where he was going. Then he served. 

Knowing our identity in Christ is foundationally vital to serving others in this world. Yes, there’s an enemy of God. Yes, he prowls around seeking to devour. Yes, there are enemies of God inciting evil on this earth – terrible evil. But knowing who we are in Christ and the authority we have in him gives us the boldness and strength we need to serve others in this dark world.

Jesus knew. Then he served. 

If we’ve put our faith in Christ, we have been forgiven of our sins. (All of them.) That means that shame has no home in us. If we’ve put our faith in Christ, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. That means we’re permanently marked as God’s child. If we’ve put our faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit of God is there to empower and guide us as we walk out our faith with authority on this planet. That means we don’t have to fear. And if we’ve put our faith in Christ, we are heading to our forever home with God. That means this world is not our ultimate home.

Finding our footing in our identity in Christ must be foundational to our walk of faith. Throughout Scripture we learn more and more of what it means to be a child of God. If you’re struggling with fear, worry, or anxiety (red flags we’re meditating on untruths), I encourage you to spend some time asking God to speak directly to that area of your life. Ask him to show you from his word how your identity as a follower of Christ can abolish the fear this world tries to feed you. Believe me, I wrestle with my own heart before the Lord on a regular basis when worry tries to set in. Remembering what’s true about our identity in Christ literally empowers us to serve those around us with joy and strength.

If you’ve never done my thought life challenge, this is a good exercise if you’ve been struggling with fear or worry. Click here and I’ll send it to you via email.

Jesus gave us the example of a servant-leader. Now, go do likewise.

The seating at this last supper, based upon cultural norms, had hierarchical symbolism. Jesus would have been sitting at the most important seat at this U-shaped table called a triclinium. (You can do a quick Google search if you’re interested in learning more about a triclinium.)

It was also customary to provide water for guests to wash their feet before eating. Remember, they wore sandals and walked nearly everywhere. Feet were filthy. (Think “7-11 feet” if you’re from my era.) Typically the lowest servant in the home would take on this menial, and dirty, job of washing the feet of guests.

But Jesus flipped things completely upside down.

Jesus, the honored guest at the most honorable seat, took off his outer garment, put on a towel, knelt down, and washed the filth off of his disciples’ feet. He took on the role of the lowest servant. He bent low, humbled himself, and served in love.

Then he says to them, “14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Blessed are we if we do them.

Blessed are we if we do them.

Blessed are we if we do them.

Blessed. That word in the Greek means “supremely blest, fortunate, happy.” (see Strong’s Concordance, G3107). It seems counterintuitive, but Jesus gave us the example to follow. And he says we experience blessing when we humble ourselves, bow low, and serve those around us…especially when we are in a leadership position.

A godly leader humbles him or herself and serves those around him or her in love. A godly leader doesn’t demand fanfare and praise. A godly leader doesn’t flaunt its power or step on others to get there. Those are all marks of a very insecure, self-aggrandizing leader.

Willing, humble, loving servitude marks a godly leader following in the footsteps of Jesus.

As we’re given positions of honor or influence in this world, the temptation to want the praise of man will knock on our heart’s door. It will. The temptation to see ourselves as “better” than others will come knocking. It will. But Jesus gave a clear example. To lead in a way that reflects him means bending low and serving others in love, especially those that it might be tempting to label as “lesser than.”

Father, forgive us.

Love marks a follower of Jesus.

Love. Humble love. Selfless love. Sacrificial love. Love is the mark of a follower of Jesus. “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As we’re walking out our faith on this earth, we need a discerning spirit. Not everyone who says they follow Jesus actually follow Jesus. <– Read that again. And we are instructed to evaluate others, not as a means of judgment but as a means of caution.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 17:15-23, “15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 17:15-23)

I’ve noticed in our culture that some people will blindly follow leaders simply because they say the word “Jesus.” But Jesus is very, very clear that we are to “watch out.” We’re instructed to observe the fruit in people’s lives before we give ourselves over to supporting or following certain leaders. There is great wisdom in evaluating someone’s life and choices – the fruit of their beliefs – before trusting their leadership. 

Humble, sacrificial love marks a follower of Jesus. It’s that simple. 

Zeal doesn't equate to faithfulness.

I love Peter. I get Peter. I tend to be a bit on the passionate side. (Ask my family.) At first, Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet because he honored Jesus so highly. But when Jesus explained that Peter wouldn’t have anything to do with him if he didn’t wash his feet, Peter enthusiastically wanted Jesus to wash his whole body. Zeal.

Then when Jesus said that he would be going away, “36 Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.’ 37 Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ 38 Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.'” (John 13:36-28)

Peter, zealous as all get out, exclaimed, “I will lay down my life for you, Jesus.” But Jesus knew that before Peter would actually be willing to lay his life down for Jesus, he would first deny knowing Jesus three times. A painful humbling.

Peter does remain a faithful follower of Jesus. But zeal for Jesus wasn’t the indicator of his faithfulness. It was a humble breaking of his pride that flung him into a life of sacrificial love for God and neighbor.

It’s a reminder to us to look at more than zeal when evaluating our own walk with the Lord. It’s a reminder to us to look at more than zeal when evaluating others who say they follow Jesus. Zeal is good. Passion is good. But zeal won’t be enough to keep us when the enemy attacks. Humble, selfless, sacrificial love for God and neighbor has to be at the root of our walk of faith. Zeal will follow. 

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things

Words in Red | John 12

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This week’s suggested reading: John 12

This week’s question to ponder: How has the love of man’s approval tripped you up in the past? How do you practically guard against it?

Jesus fulfilled prophecy. And he will again.

Prophecy is a funny thing. When we try to interpret it into the future, we often get the details wrong. Yet, hindsight is 20/20.

The Jews of the time had their mind set on one specific interpretation of Scripture. They thought their Messiah would come in might as an earthly King. They didn’t understand that their Messiah would come as a humble baby, born as a refugee in a foreign land, sent to Earth with the purpose of dying for the sins of man. It didn’t fit their interpretation of prophetic texts. And in turn, many of them didn’t believe. Yet, most sources say that Jesus actually fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament. (I won’t list them all here, but I encourage you to look into that if you’re curious.)

Here’s the warning to us. The story isn’t over. It’s still unfolding. And Jesus will come again, just like he promised. But we have to be careful not to put God in our small box of human understanding. When reading prophecies about what’s to come, it’s vitally important that we hold those interpretations loosely – staying in close communion with God while asking for his wisdom – lest we be like the Jews of old who anticipated one very specific thing, only to end up crucifying their true King. 

Love for man's praise kills our walk with Jesus.

We read, “42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” (John 12:42-43. Emphasis is mine.)

Y’all, the temptation to love the praise of man constantly plagues the human heart, including mine. It is so very tempting to strive after man’s approval. We as humans loooooooove to be seen by other humans as smart, successful, wise, beautiful, and altogether amazing. In contrast, being rejected by other humans can deeply pain our human ego.

But Jesus gives us a very clear picture of what it looks like to seek solely after the glory that comes from God, not from man. Jesus didn’t bend to man’s timeline. He didn’t anxiously defend himself when he was misrepresented. He didn’t compromise his purpose and calling in efforts to get more people to like him. He walked in step with the Father, even to the point of death on a cross.

If we strive after the fleeting glory and praise that comes from man, our walk of faith will be compromised. Our ears will be dulled to the voice of God. And our heart will grow cold to His leading. 

Check out these other passages that warn of seeking the praise of man:

  •  Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
  • John 5:44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (Click here to read my commentary on John 5)
  • 1 Thessalonians 2:4 “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”
  • Acts 5:27-32, “27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.'”
As a follower of Jesus, we should expect that as we speak boldly for Christ, disapproval from others (even from those in high positions) may come our way. Remember, we’re following Jesus – the one crucified by the ones he came to save. But the approval of man is not our aim. As a follower of Christ, may we set our desires on the glory that comes from God alone, even if it means rejection from others while we’re bravely being salt and light and love in this dark world. Lord, help us.

Believe in Jesus while there's still time.

I’m going to let Jesus’ own words speak to this serious, urgent plea.

“44 And Jesus cried out and said, ‘Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.'” (John 12:44-50. Emphasis is mine.)

Like I said in my commentary on John 1, Jesus wasn’t just any human. He came to Earth as the God-man to be the sacrifice for our sins. We’re already condemned apart from him. He didn’t come to judge. He came to be our rescuer. He came to provide humans a way out of the judgment to come. So while there’s still time, while you and I have breath, believe in Jesus. There is life and light in him.

P.S. Let's talk about hair.

I went on a long journey with God about hair in my time of studying John 12. Why? Well, because of how John 12 begins. “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12:3, emphasis is mine.)

I’ve read this text a hundred times before. I’ve always known that it says that Mary wiped his feet with her hair. I’ve known of the text in Luke that shows another woman wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair.

“36 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.” (Luke 7:36-38, Emphasis is mine.)

But why hair? I mean, what woman would naturally use her hair to wipe up anything? It’s definitely not practical. But it’s done twice by women in the New Testament in their interactions with Jesus.

This question sent me into an extensive time of study and prayer. And what I believe it revealed overwhelmed me. Truly. I plan to study and write further on this topic in the coming days or months, Lord willing. However, for our purposes of John 12, I believe the symbolism of Mary using her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet has deep, deep implications upon the created design and calling of woman. Mary anointed our Savior who would die a brutal death to pay for the sins of mankind. And she wiped his feet with her hair. More to come…

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things