Abide in Christ (1-Minute Mondays)

As your day and week get started, where do you rest? Where is your mind gravitating? What is most pressing on your heart?

Everything and anything easily distracts us from the best place to focus. As we focus on the pressures of work, messy relationships, complication of sin, financial concerns, undone projects, unforgiven hurts, disappointments, or any hundreds of other things that could grab our attention, these things keep us from true rest, true focus, or the best God has for us.

Instead, lift your attention higher to focus on Christ.

Abide in Christ

While Jesus finished preparing His disciples for His imminent death and His ultimate ascension, He explained the relationship between Him and each of His disciples. He said:

¹ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:1-8)

Jesus compares our relationship with Him as similar to a vine. He describes Himself as the vine, us as branches, God as the vinedresser, and our good works as fruit.

Where do you rest?

Image by scott chappell