Abide means remain or stay. The idea is that we’re fully connected, engaged. In our multi-tasking world, this is a single-tasking word. We’re doing one thing. We’re remaining tethered to Jesus. We draw our life from him. We take our direction from him.
I’ve learned that no matter how much I think this means that I’m single-minded in my focus on Jesus, I believe there is more room. I don’t believe I achieve anything near the ideal or the standard Jesus is describing. He is greater than all I can ask or imagine.
If I can keep his commandments, I can remain in his love. It seems simple. We know the 2 greatest commands. They’re from Matthew 22:36-38, which paraphrased is love God all you can and love others the way you love yourself. If I’m honest, I have a gap. If you’re in between me and where I want to go, I’m not so loving. I can easily find ways I don’t measure up. Fortunately, Jesus paid for the gap. But I’m still called to grow.
Today, let’s grow. Let’s try to remain a bit longer or to abide a bit longer. Let’s try to be slower to get angry at someone else and let’s be quicker to love others. In fact, ask God to show you how you can display love to someone right now and do it. If at any moment, you sense a gap between where you are and the center of Christ’s love, you know the key: keep his commandments.
Let’s be a people marked by keeping his commandments today. And if you want to do that better, check out our online community called Follower of One. Head over to https://community.followerofone.org and check it out.
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