Day 4 - John 15: Abide in Me
Reading Passage: John 15
There’s nothing quite like a flu takeover or an unexpected surgery recovery to cause all of life to come to a complete halt.
Why is it that the mandatory slow-down always comes at the busiest of times?
Need to finish a big project? Sorry - all six of your family members are down with the flu and require all of your attention. It will have to wait.
House trashed and needs eight hours of baseboard to ceiling cleaning? Looks like it’ll have to be put on hold - unexpected company is knocking on the door and sitting around the table with guests takes priority.
We ask God questions like, “Why the set back? I’ve got so many good things in progress.”
God has allowed my life to come to a complete standstill many times. The result is always for my good and His glory, but why is rest such a struggle?
This past summer I found myself laying flat in bed for a total of 12 weeks of recovery after two in a row back surgeries. The surgeon did an amazing job and I was well on my way to recovery.
I rested.
I stopped,
I received help.
And countless meals were brought to our family. Everything was put on hold and I needed assistance with life in general.
I had to be still and nothing could have stopped me except bedrest. I had lots of things to complete. Writing deadlines, helping at our church, homeschool, and staying in the game with our five kids.
Right at the six week post surgery mark… I tripped (over a garden hose and yes, you can cry with me). I immediately knew that my back was not okay. I went from healing to severe pain…. AGAIN.
I began to pray, “Jesus I can’t go through this pain, this laying flat, this healing. I DON’T WANT TO!”
The Holy Spirit was quick to offer comfort with the truth of God’s Word, reminding me that rest may be difficult, but Jesus can do more in my heart while I’m laying flat, than while I am running around like a crazy lady. In fact, Jesus said in best in the upper room:
“Remain in me and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”
In the Old Testament, the term “vine” is used to describe the Israelites who just couldn’t get it right (Isaiah 5:1-7). They failed repeatedly as they wandered through the wilderness and could not live up to their position of being the vine that God would use to deliver His people. The term “vine” in the Old Testament is always used to speak of failure again and again (Psalm 80:1-16).
Our resting and remaining connected to Jesus, allows Him to produce the fruit of the spirit in us! When we move away from the truth of His Word, we wither like a branch that has been cut off from its life-source.
Can we remain in Him in the midst of our crazy lives? Absolutely.
Can He use our down moments to bring Him glory even when we can not do a thing? Of course He can - but how?
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.”
After reading what the fruit of the spirit looks like… it may be that hustle to produce a life of accomplishments isn’t as high on the priority list of Jesus as we might think. The fruit of the spirit is a description of WHO a person IS rather than WHAT a person DOES and doesn’t that help us understand the heart of God so much better!
Have you experienced an unexpected pause in your life? One that required you to remain and rest in who Jesus is more than what you had to offer? We would love to hear about it!
God can utilize our down moments for His glory.
Everything Jesus accomplished on our behalf in His death and resurrection is just around the corner. He not only took our sin upon Himself friends, but He made a way for us to have a personal relationship with Him, to abide in Him, to remain in His love, and stay connected to Himself, the true vine!
The pressure to do everything is off my friends, because of what Jesus has already done… we can find REST. What hope does that give you, knowing Jesus really is enough?
Written by: Jenny Howell