The world’s culture can taint Christian culture

Let’s pray that we don’t wake up one day and find ourselves in a position where we have been selling our goods for the exchange of the world value system.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8 (KJV)

The above scripture tells us that don’t let these things spoil you.

The word “spoil” in Greek means: to carry off  booty, to carry one off as a captive (and slave),

to lead away from the truth and subject to one’s sway

Our lives have to be examined in light of truth and how Jesus lived. Those things that the Lord hates, we should hate. The things that matter to Him, we should care about. We don’t want to give away our goods as spoil to the culture and the worldview we are surrounded with.

As believers in Christ, we are dealing with the world’s culture and the Christian culture. If we are not careful, worldly values creep into the church, and after a while scripture is used to support carnal and worldly view, and even call it a Christian value. For example, we may talk about God promoting those who are faithful in the Kingdom and honoring them. God does do that. However, there are a couple of things we have to be cautious of. First of all, we don’t want to produce performance oriented mentality in the life of the believer/church. That’s the way of the world. Performance can drive a person to do more to get attention, reward, and promotion. They may continually feel that they haven’t done enough. It can also cause competition, envy and strife with brothers and sisters in Christ. Secondly, those that God promoted in the Bible, weren’t looking to get promoted. They were just being faithful to God, and God chose to promote them not because they were striving to get it. We can’t look at the end result of a Biblical character’s life  and produce a worldly formula on how to reproduce it in our lives.

We are also a society that is very much entertainment, sports, and Hollywood driven. The messages our children and young adults get via TV, magazines, and various online sources gives them skewed outlook on success, beauty, wisdom, & relationships. The challenge with those values is that they become so prevalent that they look like normal life to most people even Christians. Sex outside of marriage, broken homes, abortion, and divorce are so common that even as believers we can get calloused towards them. When was the last time you cried over a broken marriage or an aborted baby?

The church is called to be relevant

While we need to watch out for  the world value system not to creep into our lives/churches, but the same time we need to be around unbelievers. Our challenge is that we don’t want to be influenced by the culture but be an influencer. To have an influence we need to be in closer proximity. This will challenge our Christianize vocabulary, so we can speak simpler and more relevant to those who have never opened the Bible. “Simpler” and “relevant” does not mean the truth needs to be distorted.

Jesus called us the light and salt of the world. He didn’t call us to be a special spice that only certain groups of people or ethnicities use such as saffron, cumin, or chili powder.  Salt is something that people of various cultures use as a seasoning and preserver. In order to be light and salt we need to come into closer contact with people, so our lives could actually have an affect in their lives.

Lord, we pray that you would expose any area where the worldly culture has creeped into our thinking. Give us the courage to look to you to define the right values in our lives. Amen.

People of every nation or creed live with certain established rules, expectations, and values. We would call it their “culture”. We are influenced by our culture more deeply than most of us realize it. Every organization has a culture, some of which is spoken and other parts are unspoken. Those who are part of the culture understand the spoken and unspoken expectations of that group. A company, nation, ethnic group, church, or families each have their own culture.

There are some great benefits to being part of a culture. It defines, to some degree, who we are. It establishes a set of guidelines that we can live with, so people don’t have to reinvent the wheel. If the cultural norms are good, it allows the next generation to build on what has already been established and continue a strong heritage. On the other hand, a culture can be a bubble that we live in. It may isolate us from others who are not part of our culture. It may give us blind spots as to impair us from seeing the weakness of our own culture. 

The bubble of culture

When I first came to the U.S., I was 15 years old.  Two days after my arrival I started as a junior in high school. My schooling back in Iran was intense, demanding, and focused. We didn’t have much free time for anything. Additionally, most schools were by gender, so we were not in contact with the opposite sex on a regular basis. This coupled with the fact that dating was not allowed kept life very simple. Every morning we would wear the same old school uniforms, carry lots of textbooks and notebooks and go about our lives.  Working hard at school and making good friends (of the same sex) was all we had.

When I immigrated to the U.S. and started going to high school it was a culture shock! The kids had lockers in school, one for books and the other at the gym. When they told me that I had a locker, I was wondering what I would use a locker for. I needed all my books and all of them had to go home with me every day. Then I noticed that the other girls would lock up most of their books in the locker before they went home. Many of them had make up in their lockers that they used in between classes to ensure they refreshed their face in between periods. There was dating, hand holding, and kissing going on right before my eyes. In my culture, even married couples didn’t kiss each other in public. I had no idea that you went to school to do all that. Conversely, those girls would have probably been just as shocked if they had entered my world and had observed how we did life in high school back in Iran!! Each of us had lived in our own bubble and each group considered their way of doing things the norm and the right approach.

Our culture can keep one in infancy spiritually

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;  for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?  For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? 1Corinthians 3:1-4

While the Corinthian church was gifted spiritually, they were still operating in carnality. Their carnality and the tradition of man had a look of spirituality though. They were proud of the fact that they were taught and impacted by Paul or Apollos, but in the process those blessings were causing division among them because of their carnal worldview. If Christ is the head then regardless of who has touched our lives in earthly form, should not cause a feeling of supremacy or lead to separation between brothers and sisters in Christ.

Whenever we bring a cultural value into our spiritual world,  that will cause stifled spiritual development. Any value that exalts itself above Jesus, will hinder us from progress and can keep us in infancy and carnality.

What are the cultural values that you hold near and dear that are not necessarily of Christ? Are there values that you live by which are producing envy, strife, and division? Ask the Lord to show you.

The word of God is the bread of life, and we are dependent on it on daily basis. There are so many benefits to the word of God. Here are a few more:

A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Luke 8:5-8

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11

The word of God is a seed that penetrates the hearts of people and in due season can produce fruit. We usually discuss this scripture in the context of an unbeliever coming to salvation, but the seeds are continually sown in believers’ hearts as well.

The Lord has recently been dealing with me about a word that someone spoke as an advice almost two years ago. At the moment that I heard it, I thought I understood it, but it wasn’t until the conditions ripened in my life that now it’s becoming very relevant. Now, I am accountable to applying it in my life.

As the scripture tells us, the word of the Lord does not return void to Him, but it will fulfill His purpose in due time. Be encouraged that the word you share with others will not get lost or perish. You have given an incorruptible seed to others. God will use it in His time and His way to produce fruit in people’s lives.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

The word of God is our offensive tool to fight the devil and his destructive devices in our lives. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He used the word of the Lord to combat the enemy’s deceptions and temptations. If Jesus the son of God and the perfect one was tempted, we can be rest assured that we will get tempted as well. Our temptation will come in our vulnerable times when we want something so badly that we are famished to get it.

It’s important to learn to memorize and meditate on the word of God that when those temptations come, we’re ready. We don’t want to lose our inheritance to a bowl of stew as Esau did. We can withstand the enemy and push back the powers of darkness by using the word of God as our sword.

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4: 11-13

Praise God for His word because it is the best X-ray and CAT Scan system available to the condition of our soul and spirit. We can act, impress, and convince ourselves and others of something that is not true, but when we allow the word of God to penetrate us, it separates truth from deception. It exposes and identifies wrong thinking, selfish emotions, and bitter will. God’s desire is for us to be spiritually healthy.

When a patient goes to the doctor, there are times that the doctor despite all his/her expertise doesn’t know what’s wrong with the patient; they have to order an X-Ray or  a CAT Scan to determine what’s going on inside the body. Spiritually speaking, the same is true with the condition of our soul and spirit. The most discerning or spiritually mature person still cannot determine what’s going on inside of us unless we allow the word of God along with the Spirit of God to expose to us our true condition and what requires attention.

The beauty of the word of God is that He doesn’t expose things to shame us, but to free us and heal us. Through the blood of Jesus we can be delivered from cancer of pride, tumors of jealousy, and infections of self-will and inferiority. We’re always in better shape to run to God and His word rather than run from it. God is on our side, and it is his desire for us not to be a pawn in the hand of the enemy neither does he want to see us live a defeated life!

Praise God for His daily provision of nourishment, sustenance, and strength through His word.

The word of God is powerful and effective to produce the life of God in us. God is a loving father who uses His word in different ways to shape us and mold us into His image. The scriptures state the many benefits of the word of God. Here are some of them:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” James 1:1-5

The Lord brought everything into being by speaking it into existence. Jesus became the incarnate word of God who came to this world. He brought life and light into a dark and dead world. The immensity of darkness and the sin of this world could not overcome the Word of God in the form of Jesus. Jesus overcame all powers, principalities, and forms of darkness.

When God speaks a word, He brings something out of nothing. It requires faith to believe what God says until we see its manifestation in the natural. The Genesis account tells us that God spoke the heavens and the earth and every living thing into being. Praise God that He can produce great things out of nothing!

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. “ Romans 10:17

Faith grows by nurturing it over time. In order for us to develop and grow in the faith, we need to expose ourselves to His word. God has given each of us a measure of faith, so we can have the opportunity to believe in Him. However, we don’t want to stay in an infantile stage for a long time.

To live a successful life of faith, we need to allow God to develop our faith. We want to be in a place spiritually that when God speaks of seemingly impossible things, we have the faith to accept and receive the word of the Lord just as Mary did when she was visited by the angel. She believed that even though she was a virgin, God was able to make her be with a child.

Faith gives us the opportunity to become the incubator for God’s purpose and plan. We nurture it in our hearts so it can grow until such a time that He brings it forth, and it becomes visible to us and others.

“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Jeremiah 23:29

God’s word is powerful and has the ability to convict us deeply, burn things out of our lives, and purify us from sin and unrighteousness. He also has the ability to break down the hardness of hearts, the pride of life and bring forth tenderness and gentleness, so we can look more like Jesus.

Are you enjoying the benefits of the word of God in your life?  Are you allowing the pure word of God to accomplish His purpose in your life?

Praise God that we live in a free nation where we have access to variety of Bible translations. We have the freedom to read the Bible, study it, and share it with others. That’s not something to be taken for granted.

I will continue with the benefits of the word of God in the next devotional.

Nathan is now ready for his toughest challenge. God sent this prophet to King David on a much more serious issue. Nathan first shared a story speaking of an injustice of a rich man who took a little ewe lamb of a poor man. David reasoned as a King and protector of his people, so he rightly responded with anger by saying that the rich man should get killed for the injustice. He didn’t expect that the table will be turned around, and he was placing himself in the hot seat of the one worthy to die!

It’s interesting how we can so easily justify our own sin or shortcomings and ignore the plank in our own eye. On the other hand, we can be quick to judge someone else’s sin or shortcomings and draw a verdict on the speck in their eye! Lord, please help us.

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’2 Samuel 12:7-10

Finally Nathan confronted King David about his sin with Bathsheba and how he took the only wife of Uriah his loyal military person. I wonder how long Nathan knew about this prior to God permitting him to speak about it.

Nathan took a major risk by telling King David about this. David could have killed Nathan out of fear or anger. He could have felt threatened that others may find out about it and could have tried to get rid of Nathan. He could have denied the whole thing and accused Nathan of having ulterior motives. Most likely, Nathan counted the cost before going to King David. Despite all the possible fears or concerns, Nathan didn’t stop from doing God’s will.

Will you be able to deliver an unpopular/tough message led by the Lord to your leader?  These kinds of situations are sensitive. It is important to be led by the Lord and his timing. Nathan didn’t come before the king till almost a year later when Bathsheba’s baby was already born. It requires great wisdom and discernment to handle tough situations.

Nathan loved David and was a loyal man to the King, but most importantly he loved God and was loyal to the Lord and God’s assignment to him! What I love about Nathan is that he didn’t have  to confer with his friends or colleagues to see if it was a good idea or a safe time to approach the King. He did His work quietly with Lord before he was ready to come before the King. He was a true prophet!!

God placed Nathan in a strategic place for His purpose. His position wasn’t there so Nathan could feel good about himself and gain identity and security from it. He wasn’t there to be impressed by the King or become his cheerleader. Nathan was there by an assignment from God. Nathan had to have his identity and security established already in his relationship to God. Then and only then, Nathan could hear and complete all of God’s assignments to him.

Thankfully David responded with humility and received the word of the Lord from the prophet of God which led him to repentance. What if Nathan wasn’t obedient to the Lord and didn’t confront David and his sin!? Nathan’s obedience to the word of the Lord led David to obeying the word of the Lord! Our actions have a ripple  effect on those around us.

Lord help us to be strong and courageous to fulfill your assignments. We choose to put you first in every one of our relationships. Guide our relationships. Purify them. Break ungodly ties even with Godly people. Help us to be free to serve you first. We want our obedience to have a ripple effect of obedience on those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There are many brave men and women of God in the pages of the Bible, but we usually associate bravery with being a strong warrior not a bold prophet! Nathan was a brave prophet who had to deliver a tough word to the King of Israel. It takes courage, risk, and a resolve to deliver a word that others may not want to hear. As we see with most prophets in the Bible, God prepared Nathan before he was ready for his most difficult task.

The scripture tells us that:

But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 1Corinthians 14:3

Exhort (According to Webster’s dictionary):  urge strongly, to give warnings or advice, make urgent appeals

Any prophet, including Nathan, has to learn to hear God well, and deliver the word of the Lord accurately and in the proper time. This takes years of training and practice. Giving exhortations or warnings are not an easy task. God is gracious enough that He starts prophets with smaller/less serious messages. When the prophet of God has obeyed God, taken the risk, and done what God has called him/her to do, God increases the territory and the intensity of the assignment.

While the Bible doesn’t give us much detail about God’s training and preparation of Nathan, we see an incident where Nathan had to stand before King David and deliver a challenging word before delivering his most difficult message to King David.

Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around,  that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”

 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,  “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 2Samuel 7:1-6

King David desired to build a house for God. At first, Nathan spoke from his own emotions and confirmed what King David planned to do. However, God spoke to Nathan and told him to tell David that He hasn’t asked him to build a house for Him. Nathan as a prophet of God was an advisor to King David. The King was wise enough to put himself in a position to receive counsel from Nathan, recognizing that he has the word of the Lord for him. Nathan had the courage to deliver a word that the King may not have wanted to hear, but Nathan did it anyway.

Are you able to separate your own emotions and ideas and be willing to hear God for someone else? This is not an easy task. When we love and respect someone, we like to see them succeed in whatever they put their hands to. However, there are times that God may not want them to do the thing they have set out to do, even if it is for His kingdom. It is important to cultivate such a relationship with God, that we can hear Him beyond our own affections for someone, otherwise we may not be qualified to deliver the word of the Lord to them.

If you are on the receiving end of a prophetic word, are you willing to listen humbly to the message, and take it to the Lord (not your friend) for His confirmation? If the Lord has a word of correction/warning to us through someone, most likely He has tried to get our attention in other ways, and we weren’t listening. It is important to not miss the word of the Lord even if it hurts a bit.

We have much to learn from Nathan and other Godly prophets who risked so much to be God’s mouthpiece on the earth. I will continue with Nathan’s toughest challenge in the next devotional.

Lord, open our eyes and ears to see and hear what you are revealing. Give us  also the courage and the wisdom to know what to do with your word. Amen.

The Lord desires for us to receive and enjoy the joy He has made available to us through His spirit.

God’s joy fills our hearts with joy and strength

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Ezra and the scribes read the law and the Israelites were convicted, so they started mourning because they saw their shortcomings,  as opposed to what God desired. Basically, Nehemiah told them that God was joyful, and that His joy will give them strength; there is no reason to mourn, but that day was a day of celebration.

Our view of God is so important. When you think of God, do you see him with an angry face, a somber face, an indifferent face, or a joyful face?

As parents we set the tone for our homes. If we are peaceful and joyful, then when the kids walk in the house, they can relax and take on the same attitude. If they walk in and see us stressed out or angry, then that makes them upset and insecure. It is important to see God with the right perspective, because that will give us the security and confidence to be joyful.

Doing God’s work blesses us with joy

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”Luke 10:17

The disciples were joyful because they had the opportunity to minister, and their ministry produced fruit by people being freed up from demons. They saw God’s power at work through them. The Lord has created us to do good works. When we do works that produce good results,  it gives us great joy because we were designed for this purpose.

As  we walk in the spirit, God gives us opportunities to be joyful because we are in tune with Him. Do you know that God wants to see you joyful?  He’s given us His spirit, and one of the manifestations of the fruit of spirit is joy. This is gladness of heart. It is a sense of well being. It is His desire for us to have an abiding joy that comes from a close intimacy with Him.

Joy is the currency of the Kingdom of God

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Romans 14:17-18

As the people of the kingdom, joy is Jesus’ inheritance to us. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, he prayed, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 When we live, move, and walk in the spirit of the living God, righteousness, peace, and joy flow in us and through us.  We are bringing the kingdom of God from heaven to earth making who He is a reality to all those around us. Righteousness, peace, joy are attractive qualities that draw others to us because the currency of the earth is fear, stress, & anxiety.

Lord take us to deeper wells of your joy. Let us be filled to overflowing so that we can’t contain it. We desire joy to spill over everyone around us starting with those closest to us. Amen.

Most of us have heard that happiness is dependent upon our circumstances, but Joy is not. This is true. While Joy is not dependent upon the circumstances, it does not happen on its own. Our actions lead us to joy.

Repentance brings joy

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Psalm 51:12

There is joy in salvation and coming to the knowledge of the love of God and what He did for us. This is something that we cannot ever take for granted. It is important to remind ourselves of where we could have been without Jesus in our lives.

In the above scripture, David is repenting from his sin with Bathsheba. He had lost his joy because of his sin, but He was asking God to restore the joy of his salvation to him. When we sin, we lose our joy because joy comes from the place of being right with God.

Giving gives joy

Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly. 1Chronicles 29:9

People were joyful because they gave willingly and with a loyal heart. When we do what God has asked us to do, it gives us great joy. Giving is one of God’s desires and mandates.  The mind of the flesh is set on scarcity. If we walk in the flesh, we can find plenty of reasons as to why we shouldn’t give. However, when we are led by the spirit, we can give generously and with an open heart. Giving gives us joy in return.

Overcoming the enemy leads to joyfulness

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.2 Chronicles 20:27

The people were joyful because they had conquered their enemies. God had backed them up. It’s a great blessing when God defends us and stands with us. We feel affirmed and encouraged that we are doing the right thing and God is with us. This is also true when we conquer a bad habit, an addiction, or a bondage. We become freed up from the enemy’s hands. There is feeling of freedom and joy because we are not enslaved to the lie that had held us in its grip for so long.

Lord we want to experience your joy in a greater measure today!

We must take on Jesus’ disposition in order to abide in Him Successfully!

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28

I shared in the last two devotionals that abiding in Christ has different elements which are all important for us in staying close and intimate to Jesus.  We can do all of things mentioned in the last two devotionals, growing in our relationship with Christ, abiding in our position in Christ, & faithfully walking with God for years, but not have the right disposition.  Jesus’ disposition was gentleness and lowliness of heart. If we are going to abide closely with Jesus, we must become gentle and lowly in heart!

Gentleness and lowliness of heart are a sign of a surrendered life. When we are lowly, we put down our own expectations, and we take up what Jesus has for us. When the expectations of life or others are not a concern to us, we discover that we don’t strive like we used to. We don’t have to wrestle internally about things. We find rest for our souls because we are in step with Christ, and we are walking together  as we are yoked with Him.

Jesus stated, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Becoming gentle and lowly in heart is a learning process. It doesn’t all happen at Salvation, neither does it happen by gaining Bible knowledge. It happens by us paying attention to Jesus’ disposition towards the Father and others.

As we look at Jesus’ life, we notice that He never fought for His rights. He didn’t try to steal the attention from the Pharisees. He wasn’t insecure about people challenging Him. He stayed constant through it all because He knew who He was. He also knew that His success wasn’t tied to arguing, competing, striving, or fighting.  It had to do with obeying God and doing only what He asked Him to do.

Jesus did not have His own agenda! He wasn’t impatient. He didn’t try to impress anyone. As a matter of fact, there were a few times that He asked the people not to tell anyone about the miracle they received. While He knew all about Judas and His plan, He wasn’t feeling intimidated or threatened. He saw everything as part of God’s plan and purpose. He trusted God completely regardless of the outcome.  He had a resolve that He was going to do what God was asking Him to do even to the point of the cross.

Are we growing in humility and gentleness?  Are we dealing with threatening or unfair situations better than we did a year ago? Some of us just get more skilled in controlling our emotions. It’s important to control our emotions, but it is more important for us to have a change of emotions internally. Those things that used to push our buttons, don’t affect us like they used to. If the answer to any of the above questions is “No”, then we’re not abiding as well as we think we are.

Sometimes we fear the judgment of people, or we may fear lose of a relationship or a position. There are times that one’s own insecurities cause Him to become proud in fear of being perceived as insignificant. What are the issues that cause you not to be gentle and lowly in heart? Is there something/someone between you and Jesus that you have not surrendered yet? Ask Him to show you and  make a decision to be more fully surrendered to Him.

Abiding in Chirst is such a precious place to be. Thankfully, the word “abide” has a lot of depth to it. As I stated in the last devotional, the word “abide” has vast meanings based on Strong’s Concordance. Below are a couple of more meanings that are important for us to consider as we read John 15 and meditate on “abiding” in Him.

In reference to a state or condition

We are to abide positionally in Christ. There are times that the adversities of life throw such a blow that we can’t think straight. Everything that seemed settled a day ago now is questionable. It is in those times that we have to abide in God’s truth, and remind ourselves of what God has said. We don’t want to damage our relationship with Jesus because of confusion, offense, hurt, or disappointment. We can’t afford to entertain thoughts that God doesn’t love us or doesn’t care about us. We must remain in Him regardless of how much it hurts and how confused we may be. His word reminds us of the truth. We need to have a resolve to believe what God says even when we don’t feel it is true at the moment.

In reference to time

Time is another factor that can challenge us in abiding in Christ. This is especially true when it comes to fruitfulness but it can be true in other areas as well.  The teenage years are a good example of this. We think we’ve had enough of our parents’ protection and advice and now it’s time to chart our own path. The reality is that without our parents we wouldn’t have most of the things we owned in our teenage years, but we don’t see that part of it. We’re just focused on, “it’s time to move on”.

In this season in my family, we are going through the transition of my firstborn becoming an adult. While he was home during the summer there was a pushing away as if the time had come for him to move and not look back. Well, in the last couple of weeks that he has come home from college for a short visit, I have seen a big shift in his attitude. He is more rested and appreciative in being at home. He is not in a hurry to leave the house or find some friends to hang out with.

Spiritually, we do the same thing. We can get restless in our relationship with Christ. There isn’t anything going on out there that can match, or be better than abiding in Christ. Sometimes other people and things have taken the place of Jesus, so our restlessness is not because of Christ but it is due to misplaced abiding.

As the branches in the vine of Christ, we cannot afford to say.” I’ve had enough; I don’t see fruitfulness, so I have to move on”. We have to continually remind ourselves that without him we can do nothing. We cannot produce good fruit apart from Christ. So even when it seems like it’s taking too long and nothing seems to be happening we truly don’t have a viable alternative except to stay in the vine and allow Him to do what He desires to do. It is no surprise that Jesus used the analogy of grapevines to speak about abiding in Him. Generally grapevines don’t produce fruit the first year. The fruitfulness comes in the second and sometimes the third year.  Just as it takes time for a vine to be fruitful, so it is with our spiritual life.

Are there areas that you struggle abiding in Christ? Ak Him to show you the hindrance. Those hindrances will take away the life and supply of Christ in our lives. We want complete flow of the life of God in us.

Lord, take away any hindrances in abiding in you. We want to abide in you completely and be lost in you! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.