WHY ABIDING?

  This blog holds the word "abiding". If you are around anyone in our family for even a short span of time you will hear SOMEONE mention abiding or abide. My husband has a series of books that are all titled "The Abiding               " . He talks about this principle of abiding more than anyone I know. In fact, the kids and I have this little game we play when he leaves his glasses setting around. We pick them up, put them on and say "look. I'm Tater. 'abide! abide! abide!". 

 It's not because its a catchy phrase or a good start for a book series. We talk about this all the time because it has TRULY changed our lives. 

 The principle is taken from the Bible, the book of John, chapter 15. It starts off saying that Jesus is the vine and that His Father is the vinedresser. We are the branches. Branches are meant to bear fruit. But that doesn't happen apart from Jesus. In fact it says that we can do NOTHING apart from Jesus. (vs4-5). I guess that's why we keep talking about it. 

  As christians, it's easy to get caught up in the "doing". And that IS an important part of our faith. We are told that faith without works is dead (James 2:6). But so many times we get the cart before the horse, run out in front of what God is trying to do and attempt to produce fruit apart from Him. This results in exhaustion, frustration and bitterness. We look at fruits mentioned in Galatians 5 like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control and wonder where they are in our lives. We look at things like favor, provision, gifts of the spirit, financial security etc... and begin to desire those which isn't a bad thing necessarily but often we make those the goal instead of understanding those things are a tool and JESUS is the goal. ALL of that is meant to draw us into intimacy with our Father!

How we respond to our emotions and the circumstances in our lives is directly related to our relationship with Jesus. 

   If we are in a daily, abiding relationship with Him then we will respond to life in the way He leads us to respond. Studying the character and person of Jesus as He walked this earth in human form, how He related to those around Him, did the ups and downs of life with those close to Him, has taught me more about walking out my faith than anything else. It's taught me how to love  my husband and make that relationship a priority. I'm learning how to pursue my children's hearts rather than demanding specific behaviors from them.  I see how Jesus wants me to behave as a friend, mentor and sister. My priorities have shifted from "looking godly or spiritual" to actually allowing authentic transformation to take place in my life. It's nothing glamorous, that’s for sure. The struggle is still real and very messy....but it's a struggle that produces real results and lasting fruit. 

  Outside of that abiding, we may make good choices for a while, sometimes even a long while, but eventually we won't be able to white-knuckle it anymore. We will default to our selfish, flesh nature 100 percent of the time. And that is a problem because doing hard things outside of Christ means we are relying on our own acts of righteousness... the filthy rag kind (Isaiah 64:6). EW. 

  Here's the thing... Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). That's why as a family we have made pursuing an intimate abiding relationship with Him a priority. 

EVERYTHING ELSE CHANGES. 

  Everything else will fail us and  has failed us. Finances, health, relationships, governments, parents, politicians, friends, jobs, environments, countries, economics, social status, laws and legislations, pastors, preachers and evangelists, comforts, comfort objects, comfort foods, good credit, good names, all good attempts that fall woefully short. Pick your pet "false sense of security"and watch it prove itself to be just that; false.  Every government and religious SYSTEM set up by man is full of holes and flaws. These are things that we tend to look to to supply comfort and safety without doing the hard work of actually addressing the threat, without actually examining the broken heart and the reasons for it. Just put some duct tape right over that check engine light... 

  I've said it before and I'll say it again... Christianity is not centered around a system. Thank goodness because systems are constantly malfunctioning. (I'm SO GRATEFUL that my faith doesn't work like the DMV.  Take a number, wait forever because there is no incentive for anyone to move quickly, finally get called up only to find out that you are missing paperwork because even though you checked the website before you came, it hasn't been updated and no one there really cares about how it inconveniences you. Or like the bluetooth system situation going on in my car. ::eyeroll:: Sometimes there is a connection and sometimes there isn't. Sometimes it BLASTS the last video you played on your camera roll without any warning and without being asked to do so). No thanks. 

Christianity is centered around the consistent, faithful, unchanging  person of Jesus Christ. His life, death and resurrection. The significance of "Emmanuel- God WITH us"... Wow. (Matt. 1:23)

  May we never lose the awe and wonder of God taking on human flesh and coming to earth to ABIDE with His creation. Walking this same dusty earth that we walk today, fully aware of the challenges that we face and sin that tempts us. Entering into homes with dirt floors and washing His disciples feet. Attending weddings with friends. Having a complicated relationship with His parents. Holding prayer meetings in the gardens and getting frustrated when his friends didn't understand Him. Knowing that betrayal was coming but serving and loving just as honestly and completely all that were in His sphere of influence, never holding back for fear of the certain rejection. All the while, time after time, showing us what abiding looked like as He took time to get away and pray. Showing us what abiding looked like when he called out to God in the middle of the messy, the ugly and the painful. 

   Going to the cross, taking our sin and shame and dying our death, literally and figuratively ripping in two the veil that kept us out of the Holy of Holies and intimacy with our Creator. Giving place for reconciliation in our relationship with our Father. Making a way through the gift of His Holy Spirit for us to approach His throne of grace (Heb. 4:14-16)...and ABIDE there.