Jesus said:

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me (John 15:4 NASV).

Years ago, I was taking a walk after a class in Bible college wondering how on earth I would ever make any difference in the world. In Bible school, there is a lot of emphasis on affecting change and doing great things. One day in the parking lot I started thinking about the pressure of doing something that mattered. I was pacing and muttering to myself (and to God) “How could someone like me ever do great things? I’m so average. I have so many struggles. How will I do great things?” The Lord interrupted me with a sentence I’ve never forgotten:

If you walk in intimacy with Me, you can’t help but do great things.

It was such a succinct and piercing sentence. Throughout the years, the more I’ve meditated on that sentence, the more I’ve realized it answers all of life’s questions. Instead of trying to figure out how to grow and heal and change, I just need to spend time with him. Instead of trying to figure out how to be in the right place at the right time, I just need to keep my focus on him so that I am walking where he is leading. In Psalm 32:8 the Lord says: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you (NLT). And Proverbs 3:5-6 says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths (NKJ). This takes a lot of pressure off!

How To Abide

Abide every day in the presence of your heavenly Father and he will lead you in the way you should go. What does it look like to abide in a practical day-to-day way? Here are some things that really help me:

• Read and meditate on the word (reading verses on love every day is an important exercise).
• Develop an attitude of thankfulness. Every day, find things to thank God for. Even things we may take for granted like hot showers!
• Praise him throughout the day. Sing to him with all of your heart. He doesn’t mind if it’s off key; he is enjoying your heart of praise.
• Take time to journal. Be still and listen to what he is saying. Prophetic journaling is a great way to hear God’s voice.
• Speak in tongues much (or as my parents say, s.i.t. much.) Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves… (1 Corinthian 14:4).
• Listen to/read faith filled teachings. Keep them in your ears and in front of your eyes constantly. Faith comes from hearing.
• Refuse to watch shows/movies that are full of darkness. The more intentional you are about what you watch and listen to, the more sensitive you become to recognizing things that have a negative influence. This is a big part of guarding and cleansing your heart. Proverbs says, above all else, guard your heart, that is where life comes from.
• Learn about and meditate on God’s promises (healing, peace, provision, protection, guidance, acceptance, companionship, etc.) Learning about his different names used in the Bible and what they meant to his people is a great exercise too.
• Absolutely refuse to indulge thoughts of fear, offense, anxiety, perversion, etc. Ask the Lord to help you catch thoughts that do not lead to peace (he will help!) and replace those anxious thoughts with his thoughts of love, trust, thankfulness. etc. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).
• Forgive. And if you have to ask God for help 100 times a day, so be it. Move towards freedom.

These are all examples of renewing your mind. But, as God told Gloria Copeland, “In consistency, lies the key.” You have to be consistent. Moment-to-moment, every day. It becomes easier. It becomes your norm. Anxious worrying starts being replaced by peace. Anger starts being replaced by love. You start walking in wisdom and confidence. You’re not doing the changes, Christ within you is. As you renew your mind and dwell on him, he does the changes. You are partnering with Christ.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3 ESV).

Jesus himself abided in the Father. If Jesus needed God’s peace and guidance, I certainly do!

So, if you are consistently abiding in the Lord and keeping your ear tuned to him and your eyes on him, he’ll keep you in peace, and he’ll lead you. That, my friends, is a big fat easy button for life!

Once, when I was doing some prophetic journaling, the Lord said to me, “Just like a close husband, I care about all the little details of your life.” That stuck out to me. And the more I get to know him, the more I’m convinced it’s absolutely true. How did I go from doubting God’s love for me to being radiantly sure of it? Abiding. How did I know the wrong guys from the (finally) right one? Abiding. How did I go from broken hearted depression to joy and peace? Abiding. How did I know what state to move to? Abiding. How do we grow, heal, walk into our purpose? We become intentional about abiding. And in a world of busy distractions, get militant about abiding. The “struggle to enter the rest” is the patience and perseverance it takes to abide in Christ as he does the changes in our hearts. It’s worth it; in him is life and peace.

As we learn to walk in relationship with God, we start looking more and more like him. We don’t have to worry about drumming up our callings or stress over “being the change we want to see.” Our lives will affect others because we are becoming him. We are seeing through his eyes, with his heart and walking in his confidence. If you’ve struggled in a sin for years and feel you’ll never be free, no big deal. Abide, accept his love, renew your mind, be patient with yourself and consistent and he’ll bring the changes. If you can’t seem to drum up enough faith in a certain area, no big deal. He is the author and the finisher of our faith as we dwell in him. Be patient with the process. Changes usually don’t come overnight, but they do come. Relationship with God pertains to all areas of life. As we press into him, spend time in worship and fellowship, and learn to submit our thoughts to him, we will heal where we need to heal, grow where we need to grow, and walk where we need to walk.

Whether you are an intentional planner or a more go-with-the-flow personality, invite Jesus into the process. Abiding is the key to peace. You don’t have to figure out life on your own. Having a vision and plan is good. Just make sure they come from intimacy with the one who knows best. If you are walking close to God, you are walking where you should be.

How-to Summary:

• Be intentional about putting your mind on and spending time with God every day.
• Consistently take steps to renew your mind (read his word, worship, meditate on his promises etc. (detailed list in above post).
• Make room for quiet time to ask the Lord about decisions and to discern what direction feels peaceful (not necessarily the direction that feels easy).