Abide
I have struggled at times to understand God’s purpose for my life and to hold firmly to my faith in Him during seasons of adversity and trials. As I get older, I also find myself worrying more easily about things that are happening around me and things that are uncertain about the future.
Sometimes I wonder if I feel exhausted, anxious or doubtful because I am not spending enough time in God’s Word.
Maybe I am not praying enough, serving enough, or volunteering enough at church or in the ministries I feel called to. Perhaps I have become so focused on what I should be doing for God that I have forgotten the most important thing: simply abiding in Him.
We often feel the pressure to be successful, respected, and constantly striving to become better. We want to accomplish more, prove ourselves, and sometimes take matters into our own hands.
We may wonder why we prayed so hard and asked God to answer our prayers, yet He did not answer them in the way we had hoped. We may remind God of all the years we have served Him, almost as if our years of service should prove our loyalty or earn us the answer we are asking for.
But sometimes, without realizing it, our service can become more like a list of accomplishments than an expression of our love for Him.
When life is going well, we are comfortable. We worry less. We move through our days enjoying God’s blessings without stopping to recognize where those blessings come from.
But then life changes. Our careers do not go as planned. A door we desperately wanted to open remains closed. Our plans for our family or our future are interrupted. Something unexpected happens, and suddenly the weight of life feels much heavier.
We become exhausted, frustrated, disappointed, anxious, and sometimes even helpless. It is during these seasons that John 15 reminds us of what we need most: we need to abide in Christ.
Jesus Is the True Vine
In John 15:1–8, Jesus describes Himself as the true vine and His Father as the gardener. We are the branches. Jesus was speaking these words to His disciples during one of His final conversations with them before His crucifixion. He knew he would no longer be physically present with them. This was an intimate and personal moment when Jesus was preparing, encouraging, and teaching His disciples about what their lives would need to look like after He was gone.
Their connection to Him was essential. He is the life source.
Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” The vine is the source of life for the branches. A branch cannot live or produce fruit by itself. It must remain connected to the vine.
In the same way, we cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. We cannot produce spiritual fruit simply by trying harder, doing more, or becoming more involved in church activities.
We need to remain connected to Christ.
Jesus says in John 15:5, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” This is a powerful reminder that our ability to bear fruit does not come from our own strength. It comes from remaining connected to Him.
Apart From Him, We Can Do Nothing
Jesus gives us a serious warning in verses 5–6. If we remain in Him, we will bear much fruit. But apart from Him, we can do nothing. This means abiding in Christ is not optional for the believer. It is essential.
When we disconnect ourselves from Christ, we may continue to look like we are doing fine on the outside. We may continue working, serving, raising our families, going to church, and accomplishing our daily responsibilities. But internally, we can become spiritually drained.
We become anxious. We become doubtful. We become discouraged. We become distant from God. We forget how much He loves us. We become dependent on our own understanding and strength rather than God's.
As His children, we are called to be a light to others (Matthew 5:14). But if we are not connected to the Source of that light, our efforts can become empty. We can serve without joy, give without peace, and work without spiritual strength. We may even be doing good things for God while slowly becoming disconnected from God Himself.
That is why Jesus calls us to abide.
What Does It Mean to Abide?
To abide means to remain, dwell, stay, or continue in.
Abiding in Christ is not simply knowing about Him. It is having an ongoing, intimate relationship with Him. It is also the Holy Spirit that transforms us to be like Christ. He is our ultimate prize, to be holy and righteous as He is.
It is not measured by how much we know about the Bible or by how many things we do for God. It is not about the number of church activities we participate in, ministries we serve in, or hours we volunteer.
Those things can be good, but they are not a substitute for our relationship with Christ.
Abiding means remaining connected to Him—daily and moment by moment. When we abide in Jesus, we spend time in His Word because His Word gives us life, direction and light. Psalm 119:105 reminds us that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
We do not turn to Scripture only on Sundays or when we are facing a crisis. We learn to make God's Word part of our everyday lives so that our minds and hearts are constantly focused on His truth. It is the food we hunger for to grow and survive spiritually.
We communicate with our Father through prayer. We bring Him our needs, our fears, our struggles, our disappointments, and our thanksgiving. We learn to pray continually—not because we are checking off our prayer list or needing something from Him, but because we desire to remain connected to Him to understand His love and salvation for us.
As we connect with God through prayer and His Word, the Holy Spirit begins to change our heart and perspective. Instead of immediately reacting based on our emotions, we allow God's truth to guide us. Instead of believing the lies and deception that surround us, we replace them with Scripture and God's promises.
Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” we begin to ask, “God, what are You teaching me through this? How can I be more like you?”
Instead of trying to control every outcome, we learn to surrender.
Instead of obeying God because we are afraid or because we feel obligated, we obey Him because we love Him. We learn to love others and serve others with a joyful heart. We learn to be still. We learn to listen. We learn to open our hearts to God's direction and His calling us to holiness like Him.
Trusting God When We Don't Have the Answers
Abiding in Christ does not mean that God will always give us a specific answer to every question. He may not tell us exactly which career to choose, which job to accept, where we should live, or whom we should marry.
But He promises to be with us. He reminds us that He loves us.
When we surrender our plans to Him and fully depend on His strength, He gives us something greater than a detailed map of the future: His presence, His peace, and His wisdom for each step. God can do what we cannot do.
Sometimes I still question why I did not get the specific job I wanted or worked so hard for. I wonder why certain things happened the way they did. I wonder why life sometimes feels unfair. There are losses and disappointments that I may never fully understand.
Yes, these things matter. Our disappointments matter. Our unanswered prayers matter. Our grief matters. But they do not define who we are. Our circumstances do not determine our identity. Christ does. Our identity is not found in our careers, accomplishments, failures, disappointments, relationships, or what other people think of us. Our identity is found in Christ.
When we abide in Him, we can experience a joy and peace that circumstances cannot give and cannot take away.
Abiding Produces Fruit
Jesus tells us that when we remain in Him, we will bear fruit. What does that fruit look like? Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This fruit is not something we manufacture through our own effort. It is evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a life that remains connected to Christ.
As we abide in Him, our character begins to change.
Our reactions change. Our priorities change. Our attitudes change. Our desires change. Our minds are renewed, and our lives are transformed (Romans 12:2).
In John 15:9–17, Jesus calls us to remain in His love and to love others as He has loved us. That is not always easy. Sometimes the people we are called to love are the very people who have hurt us, disappointed us, or misunderstood us.
But when we remain connected to Christ, His love begins to flow through us in ways we cannot produce on our own. We can become so focused on serving God that we forget to simply be with God. The branch does not have to struggle to produce fruit by itself. It simply needs to remain connected to the vine.
Our calling is not to carry everything on our own. Our calling is to remain connected to Christ. When we abide in Him, He gives us the strength to endure difficult seasons, the wisdom to navigate uncertainty, the peace to surrender what we cannot control, the love to continue serving others, and the Holy Spirit to live in us to change us. And as we remain in Him, His life begins to flow through us. Our lives begin to bear fruit. Our character begins to reflect Christ. Our words and actions begin to point others toward Him. And God's joy and peace can flow through us into the lives of those around us.
Abide in Him. Remain in Him. Trust Him. The Vine is the source. We are the branches. And apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Jennie (N.Kx. Tswv Daus Yaj)
Jennie (N.Kx. Tswv Daus Yaj) has been blessed to serve alongside her husband, Kxh. Tswv Daus Yaj in the ministry for over 20 years! They have been married for 28 years and have five amazing children; Laura, Eleanor, Luke, Marcus and Ryan. She graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Education and enjoys teaching children. She enjoys directing the adult and children’s choir ministries and teaching Sunday School. She also serves with the Alliance Women’s leadership team at their local church. Her life verse is Matthew 6:33, “33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV) Aside from teaching and serving in the church, she enjoys attending women’s Bible study groups, planting flowers (maybe someday having her own greenhouse), playing volleyball, going fishing with her boys, making Sunday morning breakfast with the ladies, reading, and just an evening walk.
I found the message about staying connected to Christ and trusting God especially meaningful. After reading reflections like this, I enjoy Subway Surfers which is a fast paced game that helps me unwind.