Learning to Abide
A devotional by Jennifer Hamill
“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 15:4-5 (ESV)
Sometimes we walk through life believing that we are abiding in Jesus Christ and believing His truths and promises for our lives.
But instead, we are walking in our own strength, hope and wisdom. We get frustrated or discouraged when our prayers seem to go unanswered, when at the same time, the Lord is faithfully providing exactly what we need for that moment.
Have you ever found yourself in a pit of anxiety, anger, or hopelessness because the season in which you are walking and what you are experiencing seems to be tumultuous and full of silence from the Lord?
If so, you are not alone.
Sometimes we can have all the right answers and seemingly be doing all the right things, yet our hearts are not at ease and our spirit is full of confusion, despair, and discontentment. Just because we have the knowledge of God’s promises and Biblical truth does not mean we are truly believing them in our heart and abiding in His peace, hope, and rest. Knowledge and actively believing/abiding in the Truth are not the same. The first is solely based on the mind, whereas the latter is known to the mind, felt in the heart, and accompanied by the fruit of the Spirit and Christ-likeness in our lives.
Unfortunately, it is not a simple flip of a switch for us to understand or know how to truly abide in Christ and all of the promises God has given us. Fortunately, God is committed to the process of completing the good work He began in us, His children. God’s very intention toward us is to teach us how to abide in Truth and depend on Him rather than ourselves; and that lesson requires humility.
According to the dictionary and my own understanding, to “abide” means to remain stable or fixed on something; additionally, to abide means to “accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation).”
Given these definitions, a question to consider is “Does my current life reflect a life of abiding in peace, hope, and rest because I am choosing to abide in God’s promises and the truth of His character? Or does it reflect a life of self-reliance, frustration, and exhaustion?” More simply put, we can ask ourselves, “What type of fruit am I bearing? If others were around me 24/7/365, what fruit would they see and/or experience?”
Some of these “x-ray” questions can simply serve as a resource to take a step back and evaluate if we are truly living in light of the truths and promises of the Gospel.
Recently, I was in a conversation about the heart of gratitude. I found it interesting to consider how sometimes we can say we are grateful for something. But in reality, we are not truly appreciating it and experiencing gratitude on a heart level. Furthermore, we can say we are praying about something. But in reality, we are not surrendering it to the Lord on a heart level.
We naturally love control. But humility and abiding in Christ requires a release of control into the heart posture of faith. This requires us to make a choice. Sometimes we are faced with a decision as simple as, “Am I going to pause, breathe, and take this concern to the Lord who is good, sovereign, and perfect in all His ways, or am I going to keep trying to solve my own problem, research one more thing, ask one more question?”
It is important to remember, though, that abiding does not just happen spontaneously or naturally. It is intentional. It requires intentional time in the Word of God (The Holy Bible), intentional time of prayer, intentional meditating upon Scripture and characteristics of God as well as attributes of God. Furthermore, abiding does not mean that all is wonderful and life is free of hardships. Abiding in God’s faithfulness, love, character, and Truth actually offers our soul a hope, peace, and rest that is unattainable in ourselves, others, or anything else this world has to offer us.
I hope you will take a moment to pause and reflect with the Lord today. How are you truly doing? What are you abiding in? What are your concerns and what are you doing with them? What are you believing about who God is and His character in this moment? Pray through these thoughts and answers. The Lord is for you and is with you; let Him teach you how to abide in Him.
Let’s Pray: Father God, thank You for being good and faithful. Thank You for your perfect provision for this day. Thank You that I can experience true hope, peace, and rest as I look to you and abide in your Truth and promises. I ask for Your help, Oh Lord. Teach me how to surrender, abide, and depend on You. May my heart trust Your good intentions, perfect wisdom, and sufficient provision. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection #1: “Abide” by Dwell Songs. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #2: “Lay It Down” by Jaci Velasquez. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Jennifer Hamill obtained a Bachelor of Social Work, a Master of Ministry in Intercultural Studies, and a certification in Biblical Counseling.
Her educational training has afforded Jennifer the opportunity to work with various populations—such as foster care and adoption, refugee women, homeless, under-resourced youth, international students, and local churches. It has been through these experiences that she has seen a need for women of all ages to understand their true identity as a child of God in order to experience the promised abundant life and freedom.
By working as a Biblical Counselor and Coach, Jennifer focuses on helping others discover who God is and to know their true identity in Jesus Christ. Through her professional work and ministry, she helps people learn how to carry out their specific purpose and calling in building God’s Kingdom that is not of this world.
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Connect with Jennifer:
Website: www.rootedandfixed.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rootedandfixed
Email address: rootedandfixed@gmail.com
