“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me” (John 14:23-24).

Lanielle was becoming more and more defiant as a teenager. To be very honest, she was making life generally miserable in her home. Simple little requests were made very big issues by Lanielle. She rebelled against nearly everything. Knowing what the family was going through, Aunt Linda invited her beloved Lanielle out to lunch on a Saturday afternoon. To everyone’s amazement, Lanielle accepted the invitation. The Holy Spirit was really working that day at the restaurant. After a great and lengthy conversation, Aunt Linda simply said, “Honey, you claim to be a Christian. That’s great! But the Lord Jesus clearly taught us that if we love Him, we will keep His words. If we don’t keep His words, it is a clear indication that we don’t love Him at all. By your actions you are making a very loud statement about your love for Christ. I am telling you these things because I love you.” Lanielle did not change overnight. In fact, a few months after this she came to put her trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation. The conversation with her aunt that day was the changing point in her life. Though many folks claim to know the Lord Jesus, the proof will be in the way they live. If they really know Him, they will keep His words. If they don’t keep His words, there is a big question mark over the genuineness of their claims to be a Christian.

For today: May the proof of my love for Christ be demonstrated in the way that I obey him!