“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7

    “Abide in me.” The three words with which Jesus invited his disciples to place their faith in His love as they walked to the Garden of Gethsemane that last fateful night. He wasn’t just talking to the disciples though. No, He was talking to us, too. And these three simple words, if understood and acted upon, can make all the difference in a Christian’s life. The problem is that many of us have never really even noticed they were spoken, much less taken their message to heart.

    “Abide” means to remain. That makes sense; “remain with Me,” “stay with Me,” “stay by My side.” Ah, but Jesus doesn’t say “with,” He says “in.” Simply put, Jesus is not saying He wants us to walk “with” him, or be “with” Him. He is saying He wants us to remain “in” Him — as close as we could ever get to actually to Him without being Him.

    “This is just semantics,” you say. “A play on words. What possible significance could such a tiny distinction make?”

    In my life, it has made all the difference!

    I must confess, however, that until recently I hadn’t put words to this phenomenon. I knew it was in my life, but explaining it wasn’t easy to do. At the time I called this experience “faith.” As a writer, I had faith that God would light my path, that if I surrendered the project to His care, I would have the right words at the right time.

    The opportunities to use this “faith” were boundless.

When my two year old deleted five pages of the new manuscript I was working on, I distinctly remember saying, “Well, I guess God didn’t want it said that way.”

When my publicist threw a major curve into my plans by saying the cover for my second book (a cover which I had chosen) would never work, and we had no choice but to change it. True, it took awhile before I realized that God had a better idea. Once I surrendered to that understanding, the new cover came into focus, and it was far and away better than the original.

    For several years these were the types of ways I tried to “abide in Him.” However, I realize now that I was still thinking of some outside entity — not His Spirit that permeated me. Recently, I came into contact with Bruce Wilkinson’s little book, Secrets of the Vine. My understanding has taken a giant leap forward. Wilkinson talks about the phrase “abide in me” and what Jesus meant when he spoke those words.

“What possible significance could such a tiny distinction make?”

    When one of these “abide” experiences would happen in the past, I couldn’t adequately explain it. It was easy to overlook or to leave unexamined. Nonetheless, I believe these experiences are great examples of Jesus’ “abiding in me” principle.

    During the course of writing my current book, I was introduced to two songs that so embody its message that their entrance into my life could not be called mere “coincidence.” Also, I received an email that depicted the exact kind of person characterized in the book, in a way that visually detailed the precise message I am trying to portray. A sign possibly that I am on the right track?

    Perhaps most intriguing I received a magazine which gave me, in perfect form, the insight I needed to understand why this character was acting the way he was. Of course, people receive magazines every day, so that shouldn’t be all that noteworthy. Except for this: my address had changed. The magazine shouldn’t have been forwarded. I didn’t receive other issues of the magazine. So, why did this one come through, with exactly what I needed, despite every obstacle against it?

    I believe the answer can be found in those three words: “abide in me.”

    I challenge you to look for these “abide in me” experiences in your own life! How many are you either missing or overlooking right at this very moment because you are not looking for them?

    As a firm believer in these words, I can tell you that if you will take Jesus’ words, “abide in me,” to heart...
if you will accept that Jesus is not just an “out there entity” in whom you have faith...
if you will trust that He truly permeates your life as you seek to abide in Him...
if you will truly accept His presence in every aspect of your life, every minute of every day...
...then He will abide in you, and your life will never again be the same.

    After all, that’s His promise.

Jesus replied, “All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them.” (John 14:23)

Are you tired of all the trash labeled “entertainment” these days? If so, you are invited to visit the author of this article, Staci Stallings, at http://www.stacistallings.com. An Inspirational Romance Author, Staci welcomes all visitors to read sample chapters of her work, powerful and uplifting articles, her free monthly newsletter, “On Our Journey Home,” which is featured on the site, and Faith Stories from around the globe. You will feel better for the experience! If you are interested in contacting Staci, please feel free to write her at: staci_stallings@hotmail.com Title: "Abide In Me"
Author: Staci Stallings
Publication Date: January 22, 2002

Share with Others	Related Heartlight Resources
Print this Article Send it to a Friend Discuss	Today's Verse - John 15:5,8