Influencers Weekly Devotional- Abide with ME

Abide with ME

Embracing and Being Embraced by Christ

Abiding In All Our Ways

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2: 4-5

I have come to see that abiding in Christ is the most exciting, meaningful and necessary part of being God’s child, after we have come to know Him. And yet, this necessary connection with God is often, if not most often, rarely considered by His Church and its leaders. Why is this? I think it is because “abiding in Christ” is thought of as private, mystical, and out of reach. The question that begs to be asked is why did Christ instruct us to abide in Him as a branch would abide in the vine if it were unnecessary, or unattainable, or wasn’t a needed part of our relationship with Him? As I have begun to pursue Christ with all my heart, especially in this area of abiding in Him, I have come to understand that abiding is more than just a spiritual connection, even though the spiritual connection is the heart of abiding. It is not just a dedicated time of connecting with Him without distraction, such as a quiet-time or extended time of prayer, as some people have come to understand abiding. Although it would certainly include such times, it is not limited to them. Abiding in Christ is not a momentary connection with Christ, for another word for abiding used by other translations is to “dwell in.” This gives us a picture of permanency, not just a visit with Him. Abiding in Christ is a volitional act on our part and something that requires action and priority. We are invited to abide, and it is clear it is necessary. But to do so, we must place ourselves before Christ through our personal abandonment of our life to Him and put our trust in Him in the most absolute way. Otherwise, our connection with Him would be weak with duplicity. He said we cannot serve two masters, and abiding means a faith-connection with no back-up plans. God wants our absolute trust, which builds an intimate relationship with Him. There are many aspects of a man’s life, but, there are three created aspects that encompass most of them. I want to address these three aspects, as we consider what it means to abide in Christ, completely. For the next several months I want us to explore what it means to abide in Christ Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually. I believe we all want to know what the Bible has to say about these aspects in our life, especially if they are an integral part of the abiding process we seek. Please realize that I might be invading some areas you might not want to consider, for there might be some changes needed in your life that come to light. If so, please remember our goal, which is to draw near to God to allow Him to make of us the men He wants, who are fully-equipped for every occasion. I am reminded of a story of an old pastor who was preaching to his congregation. He knew one of his deacons was involved in a wrong relationship with one of the church members, and rather than call the man out specifically, he brought theology to the forefront in hopes the man would become convicted in his conscience. The old pastor’s words started off gentle enough, as he began to teach the “should nots” that most people struggle with, such as overeating, not tithing, cursing and such. With each item, the man whom the pastor was trying to reach would give a loud “Amen Pastor! Preach on!” as he voiced his approval. But when the old pastor began to zoom in on the specific sin with which the man was involved and began to stare at his deacon, it was obvious to whom he was talking. As the old pastor’s words began to sting, and conviction set in, the service began to heat up. Finally, the wayward deacon could take no more. He stood up and shouted, “Now pastor, you done gone from preaching to meddling,” as he walked out of the church. What was surprising was that half of the other men and women did the same, for the preacher had “meddled” in their life, as well. I’m wondering if some of you might think the same thing, as I invade areas where you might not want to go. However, if there is any encouragement, let me say I have not attained to abiding in Christ completely, and I am just like you. It is my desire to do so, and I realize it will be a lifelong pursuit. For instance, I suffer greatly in my physical stewardship, as it relates to abiding in Christ. I understand the spiritual aspect of abiding with Christ. Although I have not attained to any semblance of perfection in abiding with Christ spiritually, I have made great strides in that area. The spiritual connection is spilling over to the emotional and mental aspects of my life, as it is the promised fruit of abiding. But my physical condition, and my need to come back from where I am, is heavy on my heart and mind. I believe it will require more than personal discipline to make it back, although that will be a key part. I believe it will require that I pursue a physical lifestyle that is inspired from my connection to the Vine. I believe God would have all of his men disciplined in heart, body, mind, and soul. Our bodies are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells within us. But if you are like me, you have not been a good steward of your temple. It doesn’t take long to see that a body, which is not cared for, will debilitate our ability to serve the King. My plan is to write a devotional series over the next few months with myself as the main target. I might be “meddling” in things I don’t want to hear, but I am asking for discoveries that God will reveal to me. You are invited to look in and grasp what might be spoken to your own life. I hope you will. The three segments will be entitled Abide with ME Physically - Abide with ME Emotionally - Abide with Me Spiritually. This will be a holistic view of abiding in Christ. In case you need some enlightenment on the word holistic, it means: Holistic: “Characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.” Abiding in Christ is an intimate connection with God. Our entire life, including relationships, aspirations, interests, thoughts, the physical, mental and emotional, should be connected with Him, as we abide with Him. Our life is not to be segmented as part mine and part God’s. It is to be completely His. We are to be completely His. But it requires that we give ourselves completely to Him. The intimate connection of completely abiding in Christ will bear fruit, and this fruit will work its way into every aspect of our life. This is a beautiful thing. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to take our relationship with Him to the deepest and most thorough completion in our life. Sometimes we put roadblocks that get in the way of His work, and it is through His pruning, that we learn to breakdown those roadblocks so He can go deeper in our life. Over the next few months, as I explore what it means to abide in Christ completely, don’t be surprised if you say, “Now Rock, you done quit preaching and gone to meddling.” We all cry out sometimes when God concentrates His convicting truths on those areas of compromise to which we have given ourselves. But if we are committed to stay with Him and allow him to lead us out of those compromises, we can become His man in every way, by being built up like a spiritual house. Will you join with me? Will you help me get to where He wants me to be, if I will help you? Let’s let Him build us up and become complete in every way, so we can serve him the best we can the rest of our days. To His glory we will walk this path, Rocky CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THIS DEVOTIONAL