Abiding.
What does that word mean? Do we even use it much these days? It’s an old fashioned word.I looked it up. It means: to remain, to reside, to endure, to submit, to withstand or put up with, to carry out, or live up to as in a promise.
And here I thought it meant to simply live with. It gave me a whole new dimension to think about when I read that Jesus asks me to abide in Him. What, exactly, is He asking? And how can I respond?
To remain: it seems that this indicates that I was abiding to begin with and will remain. Jesus said that He is the Vine and I am a branch. If that is so, then it must mean that I remain on the Vine. If I don’t, then I die.
To reside: this is the part that is “living with”. I reside in a house on a street. That’s on earth. Maybe my real residing is in heaven – but only if I abide on the Vine.
To endure: surely it’s true that because of endurance I could never have made it through the trials of my life. I could have run away, and I did, with some. Those were truly defeats. Anybody else out there beat themselves over the head with their defeats? Only when I endured by abiding on the Vine, did I make it through.
To submit: oh yeah. This is the ouch word, isn’t it? Submit? But I want to be independent and do my own thing. Still, there is an echo at the back of my mind that says, “there is a way that seems good to a man (or woman), but the end to that is death.” Ok, submitting to the Vine is much preferable to death. And maybe the Vine means the best is in store for me?
To withstand or put up with: this brings to mind raging winds, rain and foaming surf at the base of a dark cliff. I can even see trees bent way over. Oh wait – that’s just how it feels when life’s storms hit, isn’t it? If I abide in the Vine, then I will come out standing up! I like that idea.
To carry out, or live up to as in a promise: the Vine asks us to make ourselves at home with Him. He asks us to carry His words in our hearts and act on them accordingly. Then we will be like Him. As I ponder what happens when I act on His words and when I just act out on my own, I can see how His words carry the promises of love and grace and peace and strength.
Abiding may be an old fashioned word, but it’s perfectly appropriate for a new world.
I choose to abide on the Vine. How about you?
“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant” John 15:5, The Message.
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