Abiding!!

If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

When we look back over the events of the years since the pandemic began, we realize that during this time we’ve done a lot of biding our time until this whole epidemic passes. We got immunized, boosted, and still we find that the whole thing just keeps reconfiguring itself.

Everybody who keeps a calendar, either an old fashioned paper one or the ones we keep on our devices, knows that we check this almost daily to see what’s on the agenda for that day or week. Nobody had Covid-19 on their calendar. It caught us totally unaware, and we were not prepared for all the ramifications it would produce. It is in these hard unexpected times that our identity is forged, and we learn the value of abiding.

Abiding has different synonyms such as bearing, enduring, tolerating, and suffering. It seems that during these last few years, we have began to identity with these as we learn the value of abiding. Abiding means to stay or remain. The word makes us think of home, the place where we find joy, acceptance, encouragement, support, protection, purpose and rest. Abiding gives us a chance to treasure God’s word and renew our pledge to accept it as our highest authority, our compass for direction, our counselor in making decisions, and our benchmark for every relationship and action.

As disciples, our faith will always be put to the test, and it is in these times that we experience the true definition of abiding as we “take up residence and live in” and continually receive, believe and trust that Christ is everything we need. In short, we become a container for God’s spirt to live within us and affect every area of our lives from relationships, to health, to decisions, to marriage, and struggles. Abiding reminds us to remember that every word of God is flawless and to turn to it for guidance. (Proverbs 30:5)

Each of us have to make the decision to abide in Him wherever we are in life. Oswald Chambers said, “Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.” Many of us have abided with our family, friends, and with others in the faith during times of death, illness, chemotherapy, surgery, stress, relationships, emotional struggles, health, decisions, and handling overwhelming problems. There’s no way to hurry up the process, so the best advice is to abide and let God work.

So, how do we learn to abide in Jesus? The best way to illustrate abiding in Jesus is to liken it to a tea bag. When you put a tea bag in hot water, something happens. As the tea bag abides in the water, the tea begins to flavor the water until it takes on the taste of the tea. The longer the tea bag abides in the water, the stronger the color and the flavor of the tea. That’s what happens when we abide in Christ and He abides in us. The longer and the deeper we go with Him, the more His presence will permeate our lives. (copied)

I read recently that there are three things we need to do to abide in Jesus. First, we should walk by faith and let Him be the guide. Next, we should spend time focused on Him, the Bible, and His will. Lastly, we should live intentionally as we show others by our example.

The closer we get to God, the more we will want to do what He says. Abiding in Christ daily requires dependence on the Holy Spirit. When we do what He says, we will begin to abide in His blessings.

In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground; Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace; when fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my all in all, Here in the love of Christ I stand. In Christ Alone by Adrienne Camp