How can I abide in Christ?

Jesus said: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit… Abide in me, as I also abide 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 15:1-5

A group of us recently were thinking about John 15, where Jesus compares himself to a “vine” and describes his disciples as his “branches”. Just as a vine-branch has to remain attached to the vine, so we have to “abide” or “remain” in Jesus.

The basic meaning of Jesus’ metaphor is clear enough: if we fail to abide in him we will become spiritually dried up and barren. We may appear outwardly to be Christians, but it will be nothing but show.

No problem there. But then the question arose: What does it actually mean to “abide in Jesus”? What might abiding in him look like? Even more: how can I know if I am abiding in him?

Good questions, all of them.

We agreed that, at heart, it’s all about a deep personal relationship with Jesus. What else is Christianity about if not that? But when we tried to put our fingers on it a little more precisely we found it wasn’t entirely easy to pin it down. Thinking about it later, it struck me that perhaps we had made rather heavy weather of what is in reality a fairly straightforward matter.

I found myself wondering if we had allowed that word “remain” or “abide” to smuggle into our minds a sense that is too static. By which I mean: if you abide or remain somewhere you aren’t moving. And so we can make the mistake of thinking that “abiding in Christ” is mainly about simply being quiet and still in his presence – very much a “spiritual” thing, what some Christians might even call “mystical”.

The classic model for this is Mary of Bethany. In Luke 10:38-42 we read how she and her sister Martha gave hospitality to Jesus – and how tension arose because, while Martha was busy being a good hostess, Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he said”. Which Martha didn’t like very much! (And, of course, Jesus defended Mary; she had “chosen the better part”.)

And so we found ourselves talking about how difficult it is, in the context of desperately busy lives and constantly distracted minds, to just sit quietly at Jesus’ feet – as if that is the essence of “abiding in him”.

Please don’t get me wrong. There is certainly a place – a vital place – in our lives for doing exactly that. Indeed, one of my own favourite songs captures this well: To be in your presence,/ To sit at your feet,/ Where your love surrounds me,/ And makes me complete./ This is my desire, O Lord,/ This is my desire… Amen to that!

But while this is true, I wonder if in fact Jesus meant something much more “ordinary” (if I can use such a word). Putting it simply: to abide in Jesus is nothing other than to trust, love and obey him minute by minute and day by day. And that is something we can do – indeed, something we should do – even when we are not consciously thinking about him.

Marriage provides a helpful analogy. In a good marriage husband and wife love one another all the time, not just when they’re together or when they’re thinking of one another. Certainly, there will be – there must be – times of special closeness and intimacy. But a large part of a marriage relationship belongs in the context of busyness, tiredness, sheer drab day-to-day routine: marital love isn’t “switched off” during such periods of life.

And so it is with us and Christ. Abiding in him is (if I can use an expression from science which I don’t claim to understand) a “steady state”; it’s not an occasional activity. You may be a nurse run off your feet, unable to think of anything other than your next patient; but you’re still abiding in Christ. Or you may be a harassed parent caring for demanding children; but you’re still abiding in Christ.

We need to beware of becoming spiritual navel-gazers, always worrying if we are “doing well enough”. Or, changing the analogy again, becoming spiritual hypochondriacs who are constantly taking our temperatures to check that we really do love Jesus. Introspection is always a risk for the seriously-minded Christian.

A day will come when we will see Jesus face to face – and then, don’t worry, there will be ample opportunity to bask in his presence! Until that day comes, our call is just to roll up our sleeves and get on with the nitty-gritty business of living this wonderful Christian life.

You want to be sure you’re “abiding in Christ”? I suggest four simple elements: trust him; love him; obey him; enjoy him.

That should do it!

Lord Jesus, thank you for inviting me to abide in you. Thank you that this is a twenty-four-seven state, even when I’m tired and busy and feeling anything but spiritual, not an activity I focus on from time to time. So please make me fruitful in every situation in my everyday life. Amen.