Text- John 15:4- “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
In today’s text, we find one of Jesus’ most vivid illustrations of the relationship that exists between us and Him… He is the vine, and we are the branches. Jesus makes it crystal clear that we, as believers, can only glorify the Father through fruitful lives if we abide in Him.
In other words, our relationship with Christ should not be some sort of superficial acquaintance, but an intimate relationship.
When Jesus said, “Abide in me”, there are three major thing that are implied
1. We must stay connected with Christ
Just as a branch is expected to be imbedded in the vine, we are expected to maintain a vital connection with the Lord. Spiritual life cannot be sustained without that connection.
I know the concept of connection is not strange to our generation. We have mobile networks, the internet and all sorts of devices, with which we try to stay connected to our families, friends, and acquaintances. In fact, we sometimes connect with strangers too!
Ours is indeed an era where ‘staying connected’ has become big business. Social networking facilities and instant messengers have made the world a global village where we can have instant access to build and to foster relationships with just about anyone around the world!
The big question is, in the midst of all these, how much time do we actually spend to build the most important relationship of all? How much effort do we invest in connecting with God on a daily basis?
One primary way of staying connected with God is to avoid sin. Sin will break your fellowship with God, and hamper your connection with him.
Furthermore, avoid any form of compromise, especially when it comes to the time you should spend with God. Be it pursuit of wealth, climbing the ladder of your career, social engagement, ungodly relationships, lazing around, or even sinful pursuits.
Remember, sending and receiving data (communication; talking and listening) is a very essential part of connection. Don’t be too busy to find time to connect with God through worship, prayers, and bible study on a daily basis. Don’t get too busy that you cannot have regular get-aways in form of retreats to connect with God.
More importantly, try to create and maintain an atmosphere around yourself that keeps you in tune with the Holy Spirit at all times. For example, you can pray in tongues, get a worship song (or even just instrumentals) playing on the background, play audio Bible etc. as you do different things during the day.
Beloved, abide in Christ – stay connected to Him!
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I chose to abide in you. Guide me Lord, as I begin to take steps to stay connected with you at all times in Jesus’ Name.
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