John 17:3 says, I say all this so that these followers can have the true happiness that I have. I want them to be completely happy. This is part of a prayer that Jesus prayed on the night he was betrayed by Judas. What is the 'all this' that Jesus was referring to?
Jesus prayed that:
Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. Glory means honour or praise. He was asking for glory from God so that God would be glorified in his death and resurrection.
I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One.
Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth.
Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us.
I want them to see my glory—the glory you gave me because you loved me before the world was made. We can enjoy the same true happiness that Jesus has from glorifying God the Father. This happiness also comes from the protection, teaching and unity that is ours in Christ.
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Proverbs 14:29 says, A patient person is very smart. A quick-tempered person makes stupid mistakes. These two statements are so true. I know from experience that when I have been impatient or quick-tempered that I have done and said things that have got me in trouble, or that I have regretted later. I'm more likely to say something harsh or hurtful, break something, make a mistake, etc. When I feel myself getting frazzled, I take a couple of deep breaths and ask God to help me. This usually helps me to return to a more patient and wise state. When you are patient, you make time to think more carefully about your actions and words.
In John 15 Jesus had been talking to the disciples about being connected to him, like a branch is connected to the vine. John 15:11-12 says, I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy. This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. To really understand these verses, you need to read what Jesus said in the passage before them.
John 15:8-10 Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father. I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Now continue in my love. I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and he continues to love me. In the same way, if you obey my commands, I will continue to love you. There's so much in this passage, but basically Jesus is saying that if you stay connected to him, obey his commandments, and love others, you will know true happiness. What a great promise and a great challenge. A lot of us are more connected to our phones than we are to Jesus and that doesn't bring true happiness. In fact, quite the opposite, being connected to your phone too much can make you depressed. Stay connected to Jesus through prayer, worship, reading and studying the Bible, serving others, being grateful and loving others and experience true happiness!
Proverbs 14:15 says, Fools believe every word they hear, but wise people think carefully about everything. We are surrounded by so much information, but a lot of it is unhelpful or untrue. You can't believe everything that you hear or read. Be wise and check to see if it is from a reliable source and if it matches up with what the Bible says.
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