Paraphrase
4 It speaks well to have those in your charge also abiding in that truth, for it is the Father's will. 5 Seeing that all involved know this truth, it should be nothing new to walk also in love, which is also in accord with the Father's will. 6 In fact, this very walking in His will declares our love for Him; and His commandment toward us is that this very love for Him be also for each other.
Key Verse
6 - It combines the two facts that God has commanded us to love, and our love commands us to obey.
New Thoughts
It strikes me that both definitions of commandment - it's emphasizing the authority of the commander, and it's appropriateness to the relative office of the commanded - are quite fitting. I also note that the point of brotherly love is one John stresses greatly throughout his writings. Clearly, this is a factor of Christ's message that burned deeply into his heart, as it ought to burn into our own. However, in this moment, it's the knowing myself true that concerns me. Too often I find I am shown that there's still a great deal within me that doesn't line up with the display I want to put forth. There's still a great deal of disparity between the thing seen, and the reality at the basis of the thing. In some ways, I could wish there were a greater disparity, for the reality has a way of leaking out, doesn't it? In a stronger way, I truly desire that the image I try and put forth no longer required the trying. I truly desire that You, oh Lord my God, would do Your work in me, that You would change this heart of mine. For there is too much of pride in it as it stands. I feel it all the time, God. And I've allowed my life to shape it into a thing that needs constant feeding, when it ought really to be starved out. Like smoking, Lord, it's nothing I can let go of by myself. It's going to require Your very present aid. God, help me to let go of this need to prove myself. Help me to cease from trying to overcome my perceived limitations. I see it in my work - I'm non-degreed (by my own laziness), so I feel it necessary to work harder, and I take it very poorly to be questioned, and even worse to be found wrong. I see it in my worship (worst of all places to find such things) - I'm untrained, and so push harder to hear something sweet-sounding come from me. When am I going to learn that it can't come from me? There's nothing sweet there for it to come from. It's truly all about You. It's You who brings the sweetness. I can only be thankful that there's no condemnation in You, oh God, and I pray Your forgiveness for putting so much of my own ego into Your worship. Again, I can only ask that You once and for all time change this heart, change this mind. God, I need Your touch on me. I need to be freed to love You as I want so much to do, to obey You as You want so much that I would. For love gladly obeys. Love gladly obeys, and that's a hard thing for me, isn't it? Make me a servant, oh Lord, to Your will.
