By Nate D. Long, Head of School
I have tried to make it a regular practice to read John 15, putting it into my weekly routine as we look at what it means to ABIDE in Jesus this school year. This week God drew me to verses 9-17, a passage right in the middle of John 15.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 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. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 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. This is my command: Love each other.”
Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege to attend a number of professional development trainings through the Herzog Foundation. One of the main points they drive home when talking to school leaders is that we are the Chief Reminding Officers when it comes to the mission and culture of our schools. Jesus uses John 15:9-17 to very quickly remind us again what it means to ABIDE in Jesus, but this time he uses the word REMAIN. “If you keep my commands you will remain in my love.” We see the ultimate picture of love in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He took on our sins, he conquered our death, so that we could again live in eternal relationship with the Father in the glory of heaven!
What I love most about this reminder to Remain (ABIDE) in John 15 is he tells us why! “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete”. What a beautiful reminder that God does this work so that we can be complete in Him and experience His joy! I tell our team often that it is our goal to be the most joyful school in Pennsylvania! To make this goal a reality we will all have to remain in the Lord so His joy can be complete.
Gratefully,
Nate
