When I woke up this morning, the song “Abide” was going through my mind. And then at church, we sang that same song as we were preparing for communion. With God, I don’t believe in coincidences, so I asked God to show me why this song is at the forefront of my attention today.
I felt like He invited me to think about what it means to “abide in Christ”. What does that look like?
One thing that came to mind was the passage in John’s Gospel where Jesus talked about abiding:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 15:4-7 (NKJV)
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
I had to switch to the New King James Version (which my Father-in-Law stands by as the only *true* translation 😊) to find where it’s translated as “abide”; in the translations I usually read, Jesus says “remain”.
These words are, of course, helpful and encouraging, but they don’t really explain what it looks like to abide in Christ. In my morning devotional, I came across this passage from Paul’s letter to the Colossians:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-15 (NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
And I thought, That’s what it looks like to abide in Christ–to live and treat others in the same way that He lived and treats us. In the Common English Bible, the header for this passage is “Your life hidden in Christ.” So when I abide with Christ, my life is hidden in him because it’s not I who am exhibiting these desirable behaviors, but Christ in me.
So, do I live like this all the time? Unfortunately, no. But I do it more now than I used to. And when I don’t, when I fail, Jesus picks me up, dusts me off, and assures me, “We’ll get it next time.” Thankfully, His patience with me is endless.
His patience with you also knows no bounds, so don’t beat yourself up when you’re trying to abide in Him but you mess it up. Just keep asking for Him to teach you to abide in Him, and He will.
“And be thankful.“
Master's Canvas - Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter 