Anyone who’s somewhat familiar with the Bible has probably read or heard the verses in John 15 that talk about the vine and the branches. If you haven’t read them before, check them out in John 15:1-17. I was talking about these verses with some friends recently, and one of my friends said she’s always had a hard time figuring out what the word abide means in this passage—or in some Bible translations, it’s remain. The word is repeated quite a bit! In fact, my Bible uses the word remain 11 times in the first 10 verses of John 15. So what does it really mean?
Big picture, the symbolism being used here is that God is the gardener, Jesus is the true vine, and we (believers—the church!) are the branches. We are commanded by God to bear fruit that will last, meaning He wants us to stay busy doing things that have eternal significance. But the only way to do this is by remaining in Jesus! We must abide with him and stay connected to the true vine in order to live abundant, fruitful lives that honor God and bring Him glory. And I’m definitely trying to live that abundant, full life! I want to be in a flourishing, joy-filled relationship with Him.
So what does it really mean to remain? or to abide? Well, as I think about a branch remaining in a vine, it’s staying connected to it. A branch that’s off on its own is no longer abiding with the vine. In order for us to remain and abide in and with Jesus, we must stay connected to Him. Here are 25 ideas for maybe some fresh new ways to stay connected to Jesus:
Hopefully at least one of those ideas might be a refreshing way for you to connect to Jesus. Maybe the Holy Spirit will lead you to try a few of them! Bottom line, do whatever you need to do to stay connected to Jesus. Remaining in Him and abiding with Him is the key to a fulfilling life in Christ. How can you tighten your grip on Him today?