Abide in Christ

So this blog post is long over due, but the meaning behind these words are so meaningful to me that I couldn’t not post this.

So I have been obsessed with the word abide for over a year now everything from the sound of the word off someone’s lips to the definition gives me joy. You can find me sitting in class writing the word abide on my wrist as I pretend its tattooed on me.

This summer I had the opportunity to be a boat leader for the annual houseboats summer trip my church puts on for high schools. As I learned more about this trip I found out the theme was “ke aloha” which means Beloved in Hawaiian. I later learned that the speaker was basing his message on the word ABIDE. That’s right he wasn’t just going to talk about abide for one night but his five messages that he would be giving were all focused on the single word based from the scripture in John chapter 15. I was stoked!!!

The word abide is such a rich word. It comes from the greek word meno which means to spend time in. The definition is to spend time with, walk with, marinate in, attach to, walk with, listen to, dwell in, and journey with.

This definition shows me that it takes time and devotion to abide in Christ. But I still had an unanswered question: How do we abide in Christ?

Tyler Scott, the speaker broke it down in such a practical way that will stick with me forever. He broke it down by dissecting each letter of the word.

Attach yourself to Jesus. Jesus will always be the right thing to attach to and abide in. Through Him we will bear fruit. With this, we must first detach ourselves from the things that hurt us and grab on to Jesus.

Bring your Burdens. Burdens are BIG, RELEVANT, and REAL. We all have burdens. Now you may be thinking what do we do with our burdens and how is this relevant to abiding.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Bringing our burdens is an important step to abiding in Christ. Giving our burdens to Christ is not easy and is not a one time deal. We have to give them continually. But through praying about it, reading what God has to say about our burdens, and sharing them in the midst of community (sharing each other’s burdens) we can begin to Abide in Christ

Invest your Time. This step is a key to growth. As humans, our deepest desire is to find a love that will last. It gives me hope to know that God loves me with an everlasting love. The key to abiding in Christ is to build a relationship. All relationships take time. But is promising to know that time with Jesus is NEVER wasted time. Relationships also take trust. Trust is earned through truth and time spent with each other (Trust = Truth + Time). A relationship with Jesus takes trust, but through spending TIME with Him, who is TRUTH, one can begin to trust HIM. I am bad at this and can be working on this more, but the #1 habit is to spend time in God’s word and to use that time to learn all about Him, find wisdom with all of my decisions, and learn to trust HIM.

Decide to Follow. Tyler brought up an interesting point that I never fully realized. NOW affects LATER. The choices and decisions I make to today will affect later. It is important to make wise decisions. The framework that I want to live by when making a decision is to ask myself: is this wise based on my past experiences, present realities, and future hopes & dreams? Making the decision to follow Christ is one of the biggest and wisest choices one can make. As a Christian I want to continue to make wise choices. In proverbs, wisdom is the person of Jesus. So by following and abiding in Christ I will be pursuing the wise choice.

Enjoy life with Christ. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 Now you may be asking yourself like I did when I read this verse, How do you get that kind of joy. Well the first way is by plugging in through reading God’s word, going to youth group and church, and just talking to others about what God is doing in your life. The other way is by partnering up. In proverbs it talks about how two are better than one and it is important to have someone alongside of you, holding you accountable as you are fighting back Satan and trying to pursue Christ. It is also important to know that God is filled with overwhelming grace and that when we wander He will still have his arms open for us.

I just love how we unfolded what it means to Abide in Christ by breaking it down by each letter.

It is no suprise to me that the single word abide can give me so much joy because when I am truly abiding in Christ I am filled with joy.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

-John 15:1-11

WIthout the Cross, there is No Empty Tomb

This Easter I am continuing a new tradition. I am celebrating Easter apart from my family but with people who have become a part of my Iowan family. I have celebrated my friends’ traditions while creating some new ones as well. This morning my friend Patsy and I went on a run. We forgot water and at one point I cried “i am so thirty” as we were running up a steep hill we asked the holy spirit to strengthen us. I was reminded that today, my Christ suffered on a cross for me and that he spoke “I am thirsty”

Today, as a way to celebrate Good Friday we went to a service at Lutheran Church of Hope. I enjoyed getting to celebrate this day with two wonderful friends in my life, Sara and Claire, but most importantly loved seeing Christ’s character through his last seven phrases spoken while on the cross:

1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34

On the cross, he thinks of me who daily forgets him in my life. Yet, he is not angry. At the height of his suffering, his love prevails and he asks His father to forgive me. Right up to his final hours, he preaches forgiveness

2. “Truly, i say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” Luke 23:43
Not only are religious leaders and soldiers mocking Him, but the criminal on the left of Him as well. But the criminal on the right says “remember me when you come into your kingdom” what wonderful faith this repentant sinner has in Jesus, far more than doubting Thomas, one of his own disciples. Jeaus shows his divinity by opening heaven for a repentant sinner. I want my prayer to be “Remember me as you enter your kingdom”

3. “Jesus said to his mother: “Woman, behold your son.”
Then he said to the disciple: “Behold your mother.”
John 19:26-27
This phrase is about honor. Jesus is concerned for his mother and looks to John to care for her. A theme throughout the Bible is of honor or dishonor. “I am The Lord your God” “honor the sabbath” “honor your mother and father” While on the cross in the worse circumstance he shows honor to his mother. Where is the honor of God in my life

4. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34
Jesus has never been apart from His father until this moment. He knew the mission and he knew the cost. Jesus holds onto the words”this is my son who I am delighted in” through his whole time on earth through. The word, “My god” is familiar to me; it resonates with me. This is what I call in the darkest hour. The question comes next, “why?” Why have you done this to me? Jesus took on my sins and all of our sins and it was heavy. He could no longer defend his Father’s love or His ministry. At this point he had to trust to continue His ministry while He took care of the weight of our sins. my prayer is that i would Call to the cross and lay down my sin and find new life.

5. “I am thirsty” John 19:28.Jesus is both spiritually and physically exhausted. He isn’t just thirsty for water or sour wine but out every ounce of strength that is left, he still thirsts for our righteousness. This is like the cry from the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed is he who thirsts for righteousness”

On the cross, Jesus has to empty himself so that there is room made for us to be fulfilled. I can’t leave Him on the cross, but my prayer is to allow Him to fill my empty soul.
This reminds me of the beautiful lyrics of the hymn, Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended “I crucified Jesus and since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee,”

6. When Jesus had received the wine, he said,”It is finished;”
and he bowed his head and handed over the spirit.
John 19:30

It is done, it is over. Some heard these words with satisfaction that he was a false prophet. To them, he disturbed order and thru the crucifixion they had ended it. To them, He had admitted defeat. There were others who heard those words much differently with a sense of despair and loss of hope. To them, this was a tragic ending and their freedom was lost. Even they heard him say it was finished in terms of being defeated.
But the cry isn’t a claim of defeat, but further from it. This phrase more accurately means it had been accomplished. He obtained what His life had focused on. This is the reason He came. Earlier in John he said to His disciples he “Came to do the will of the one who sent him and he would finish him” On the cross he triumphed for once and for all to bring us all back into relationship with The Father

7. Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Luke 23:46
These are Jesus’ last words before death. He claims, ” I am the light of the world” but is far from that when hanging on the cross, helpless, surrounded by darkness. Our sin is paid through his sacrifice. The darkness is so real. Most times I dwell on Sunday rather than Friday. I focus on the fact that He rose from the dead instead of the death itself. But I can’t skip to the ending without focusing on this. I have darkness and sin but with the cross it can be placed at the foot of an old Roman cross. Death is not the end of the story. And in this final holy moment may I feel his final breath calling out to me ” let it go and commit everything to me because you can trust me.” I can trust that His grace is greater than my sin. And His love is stronger than my rebellion. Jesus gave his life and now I will give up mine.
Psalm 31: 5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God”

To many times, I have neglected the real meaning of Easter. Yes, the fact that He rose from the grave is of greatest importance, but not until you focus on the death. Through reading each phrase spoken by Jesus on Good Friday I feel more in love with his character: his selflessness, love, honor and grace. Friday is important to remember. Without Friday, there is no Sunday
Without the cross, there is no tomb
If there is no last breath there can be no first breath. May I run to the rugged cross as there is no where to turn. May I see how deep and wide the father’s love is for me.

The Patient Father

Amongst a green luscious meadow a single bleeding heart sprouts on the first day of spring. It sways left to right from the breeze of a girl running through the meadow. She is barely seven barefoot with wavy brown hair. She represents freedom in countless ways. As she turns back and smiles at her father, her brown hair swishes to her right shoulder. She gives a laugh and says go faster Daddy. The patient Father just cracks a smile for he knows what is ahead. He asks his daughter once to return to Him. She looks back at him and says “this way Daddy, let’s go here. “ She desperately seeks adventure. She is looking for something to strive for perhaps a waterfall or breathtaking mountain view to end their journey. The little girl points to the redwood forest ahead. “Look daddy, look over here. The trees are so tall and strong, I am sure this is the way to go” The patient Father whispers “Not yet, Come to me” Then the little girl points to the glaciers on her left. “Daddy, let’s go here the ice is so beautiful and you know how much I love the snow.” She continues to plead with her father, “We could go sledding and have a snow ball fight and make snow angels. Oh daddy we could have so much fun. You know how much I love to eat the snow; the feeling of the cold ice on my lips makes me feel so alive and refreshed. Oh daddy please, we could have so much fun together over here.” The Father just laughs for he knows what is over by the glaciers: polar bears, slippery ice, and avalanches, things that she is unprepared for as a naïve little girl. The patient Father once again whispers “ No, not there. Come back to me. I know the way.” The girl stops running and turns to her father. Her pouty face says it all, she trusts the Father but does not like what he has to say. She slowly walks to the Father. When she is three steps away, the Father bends down to her level, “ I have something stored up for you that will give you the desires of your adventure seeking heart; you just have to be patient and wait.” The little girl nods her head and takes her Fathers hand. She is happy again and content just holding her Father’s hand. She doesn’t need to take the lead and run ahead for she is enjoying every minute in the presence of her Father. All of a sudden she looks to her right and sees a vast desert. She sees a wind storm pick up the sand and move it a mile away. The sand reminds her of the beach. She starts to run towards the desert. Oh how she loves the feeling of sand between her toes and when her father splashes her with the salty water. Oh and how could she forget the sand castles that she used to build with her mother. She would build a mote to protect all the princes and princesses. She turns to her Father who is quite a distance away and starts to say “ Look daddy, Let’s Go….” She turns back to the desert and rubs her eyes. She realizes that it is not a beach, but rather a vast barren desert. “Oh wait no, Nevermind” The patient, caring Father smiles for he knows that she is learning, regardless of how long it is taking. She runs into the open arms of her Father. The Father kisses her left cheek and then whispers, “ I am so proud. You are learning” The girl smiles. Oh how she longs to please her daddy and she knows by the look on his face that she did something to make him proud. As she is walking on her Father’s side, she points to a mountain, “Daddy, are we going to hike this hill.” “No, sweetie, not yet” From afar, his smile says it all. He knows that one day his daughter will be ready to climb that mountain. It will take more time and discipline, but he is excited for the day that she will finally be ready and even more excited for the day she will summit it. As he ponders looking at that mountain, the little girl tugs on her Father’s robe. “Daddy,” she points to a small hill “how about this hill?” The Father answers “Sure, let’s go there!”

As I sat in my seat at our weekly Intervarsity gathering, I sat in silence inviting the Lord to speak to me. He revealed to me this image.

Lord, I pray that you would give me the fruits of the spirits, especially patience. Sometime I run to the first adventure or risk I see but I ask that I would just find peace basking in Your presence. May this picture be true in my daily life. May I be walking by your side and learning from You daily. I have so much more to learn but please teach me Your ways. Amen.