When We Abide

I have a framed canvas hanging over my couch with the inscription, 

“In our home, let love abide and bless those who step inside.”

Each time I look at it, I’m reminded of my favorite chapters in the Gospel of John: Chapter 15. In it, Jesus talks about fruitfulness. 

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 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 15:1-5

To bear fruit, believers must first be attached to Him.  We can do nothing in our power apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.  A well-watered tree doesn’t just make leaves and fruit on its own. It must be attached to the root system for water and soak in plenty of sunlight.  So we also don’t produce spiritual fruit on demand. 

Zooming into the original Greek word for abide, we find ‘meno’, which translates to remain, tarry, not to depart, to continue to be present, to be held, to remain as one, to wait. Such a rich word – abide. I have often felt the weight of waiting, remaining, or tarrying.  I have been in a place so many times of thinking God wasn’t working as quickly as He should or in the way I thought was best, it crushed my pride and desires for specific outcomes. I have felt like I was being held back rather than being held in safety.  

How do we abide in the waiting and in the unknowing of what is next? 

Recently, God showed me a progression of my thoughts and heart toward abiding that I had never thought of in this way. I was taught many years ago that our thoughts lead to words, our words lead to action, our actions lead to habits, and our habits lead to character.  

Thoughts. Words. Actions. Habits. Character.

It’s easy to find the breakdown when you zoom out on this progression. We can check our own thoughts in reverse order, which I believe truly starts in the heart. Your character reveals your heart. That day in prayer, God showed me something more profound than character building. He showed me that I must agree, accept, and abide—a similar step progression but a different outcome—abiding in Christ.

Agree – I must agree with God about my position with Him. He is holy and set apart.  We have no way to Him or to become righteous on our own.  That only comes from declaring Jesus as our only hope.  Jesus said, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). 

Accept – We must accept God’s way of doing things. He is good, and we can trust His sovereignty. He knows how to give good gifts to His children. But what happens to our trust in Him when things don’t go our way and the gift He gives doesn’t look anything like we planned for?  We are faced with a decision to do it His way, yield our hearts to Him, and even confess any sin that may be holding us back from His best.

Abide – He invites us to abide in Him. This is where we get to know Him—spending time in His Word, praying, worshipping, spending quality time in community with other believers, and learning to trust Him even in suffering that can lead to sanctification.

Suffering can either draw us closer to God or push us away from God. It is His design to refine us for His glory and our good. 

God allowing suffering may seem cruel, but in His kindness, He will allow us to face hardships so that we can turn our hearts back to Him and be purified of sin.  One of my favorite chapters of the Bible is Romans 8, and one fundamental truth about God is that He is sovereign and constantly working on our behalf.  Romans 8:26-28 “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for.  But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.  For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And having chosen them, he called them to come to Him. And having called them, He gave them right standing with Himself.  And having given them right standing, He gave them His glory.”

With each trial or hardship I have faced, I can see that when I agreed with God and accepted God’s plan, the abiding came much easier. When I submit to Him and He tempers my heart to His, abiding is the result.  We don’t have to travel, make an appointment, or pay a cover charge to abide with Jesus.  He extends the invitation, and we only need to accept.

What truth is God calling you to agree with Him about?  Is it a path that looks different from what you dreamed, or is it a sin or a hurt you can’t let go of yet?

What is He asking you to accept about the plan He has so carefully designed for your life?

Will you choose to abide in Him and deepen your love for Him by knowing Him through any means He gives you? 

Agree. Accept. Abide.

You can trust Him with everything!

Ardently His,

Jessica