Abide: To remain, to stay
Growing up we are taught you have to work hard to get what you want and to achieve your goals. I want to first state, I don't think this statement is completely false. We are taught that if we want to, "Beat the best we have to be the best." In order to achieve such goals we push ourselves to the extreme at times. We practiced day and night, and we drank multiple cups of coffee, so we could stay awake to study. We attended every club, party and social group, in order to prove we were worthy of friendship. Everything was based around what we were doing so we could get what we wanted.
I had a conversation with my husband not to long ago and really felt men fell subject to this "doing" mentality. They are taught at a very young age, "You want it, work for it." They are taught that if you don't work, then you are lazy or are not a man. Again, they are taught early on, what you DO gets you what you want. They are taught it makes you who you are. Teaching them their identity is in the doing.
As I have gotten older I am learning we as Christians take that thought process into our relationship with the Lord. We are taught we must "DO" to achieve "more jewels in our crown." We tend to feel if we truly want the Lord to see us as something special, then we have to do something special.
I am learning through this season, I too have fallen into this mentality. I didn't go to college, and honestly I didn't apply myself in school either. I was more caught up in attending the party and social group, and did what I needed to fit in. As I got older I felt because I did not have a higher education, I had to prove I am worth keeping around. I pushed myself hard at work so people would acknowledge me as the great____ (whatever my title was). I wouldn't let anyone else do anything or help in anyway for fear they would receive the accolades. I found that even in the "burn out" moments I would push through because, "I have to do something special so I can be something special." I wanted the Father and others to see I was worth being a good daughter, employee, friend, super wife and mom because of what I could do. I refused to utter the words "I can't."
When we arrived in Alabama again I thought, "Here we go, lets DO something now." Little did I know that is not what the Father had in store for us at all. In this season, right now, we are learning to just be. He wants to show us how valuable we are to Him, even when we are not doing. So I got here and sat, and sat, and sat some more. I was quiet some days. I read some days. I even slept some days. Through this journey He is showing me what it means to truly ABIDE in Him. When I thought about that word I immediately remembered the scripture (Philippians 1:6) "If you abide in Him, and He will abide in you. He who began a good work will complete it." I thought I knew exactly what that meant. If I have asked Him to be a part of my life, I am saved and that is Him abiding in me and me in Him and done. Wrong. Again, abide means to remain. It means to exist in Him and allow Him to exist in you. Abiding in Christ is having an intimate relationship that is not based on your works. It is learning who He is to you and in you. It's learning to stay in constant communication with Him and wait. It's learning to be OK with not doing, because it's not about what you do or don't do that makes Him love you more or less. The more we abide in Him, the clearer His voice is, the more faithful we become and trusting Him all the way. When we are fully abiding in Him, we will then be able to experience His presence. Abiding in Him will open up new vision as to who we are to be. Understand that there ARE great things He wants us to do in this life, but we have to be careful, we can easily become works oriented and not Christ oriented. Remember, once you have grasped who He is calling you to be, you will then be able to do what HE is calling you to do.
Abiding in Him is a process. It might consist of ripping away of some of the old habits of doing. This can be painful and difficult but its necessary and completely worth it. Don't be discouraged if it takes time to learn how to rest in Him. Enjoy every step of the process, open your eyes to every single detail He is showing you and allow your body, soul and spirit to be His dwelling place.
You don't have to DO to be received
You don't have to DO to be loved
You don't have to DO to be seen
Remember, He loved you before you were ever created, meaning before you ever DID anything.
It takes one simple prayer to Him, "Where do I start?" He will lead the way!!
John 15:4
Abide in me, as I also abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me.
Growing up we are taught you have to work hard to get what you want and to achieve your goals. I want to first state, I don't think this statement is completely false. We are taught that if we want to, "Beat the best we have to be the best." In order to achieve such goals we push ourselves to the extreme at times. We practiced day and night, and we drank multiple cups of coffee, so we could stay awake to study. We attended every club, party and social group, in order to prove we were worthy of friendship. Everything was based around what we were doing so we could get what we wanted.
I had a conversation with my husband not to long ago and really felt men fell subject to this "doing" mentality. They are taught at a very young age, "You want it, work for it." They are taught that if you don't work, then you are lazy or are not a man. Again, they are taught early on, what you DO gets you what you want. They are taught it makes you who you are. Teaching them their identity is in the doing.
As I have gotten older I am learning we as Christians take that thought process into our relationship with the Lord. We are taught we must "DO" to achieve "more jewels in our crown." We tend to feel if we truly want the Lord to see us as something special, then we have to do something special.
I am learning through this season, I too have fallen into this mentality. I didn't go to college, and honestly I didn't apply myself in school either. I was more caught up in attending the party and social group, and did what I needed to fit in. As I got older I felt because I did not have a higher education, I had to prove I am worth keeping around. I pushed myself hard at work so people would acknowledge me as the great____ (whatever my title was). I wouldn't let anyone else do anything or help in anyway for fear they would receive the accolades. I found that even in the "burn out" moments I would push through because, "I have to do something special so I can be something special." I wanted the Father and others to see I was worth being a good daughter, employee, friend, super wife and mom because of what I could do. I refused to utter the words "I can't."
When we arrived in Alabama again I thought, "Here we go, lets DO something now." Little did I know that is not what the Father had in store for us at all. In this season, right now, we are learning to just be. He wants to show us how valuable we are to Him, even when we are not doing. So I got here and sat, and sat, and sat some more. I was quiet some days. I read some days. I even slept some days. Through this journey He is showing me what it means to truly ABIDE in Him. When I thought about that word I immediately remembered the scripture (Philippians 1:6) "If you abide in Him, and He will abide in you. He who began a good work will complete it." I thought I knew exactly what that meant. If I have asked Him to be a part of my life, I am saved and that is Him abiding in me and me in Him and done. Wrong. Again, abide means to remain. It means to exist in Him and allow Him to exist in you. Abiding in Christ is having an intimate relationship that is not based on your works. It is learning who He is to you and in you. It's learning to stay in constant communication with Him and wait. It's learning to be OK with not doing, because it's not about what you do or don't do that makes Him love you more or less. The more we abide in Him, the clearer His voice is, the more faithful we become and trusting Him all the way. When we are fully abiding in Him, we will then be able to experience His presence. Abiding in Him will open up new vision as to who we are to be. Understand that there ARE great things He wants us to do in this life, but we have to be careful, we can easily become works oriented and not Christ oriented. Remember, once you have grasped who He is calling you to be, you will then be able to do what HE is calling you to do.
Abiding in Him is a process. It might consist of ripping away of some of the old habits of doing. This can be painful and difficult but its necessary and completely worth it. Don't be discouraged if it takes time to learn how to rest in Him. Enjoy every step of the process, open your eyes to every single detail He is showing you and allow your body, soul and spirit to be His dwelling place.
You don't have to DO to be received
You don't have to DO to be loved
You don't have to DO to be seen
Remember, He loved you before you were ever created, meaning before you ever DID anything.
It takes one simple prayer to Him, "Where do I start?" He will lead the way!!
John 15:4
Abide in me, as I also abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me.
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