It can be so easy to spend time with God in the morning for a quick devotional or “verse of the day” and then forget about Him for the rest of the day while we scurry from classes to homework to activities to chores to jobs and so on. We live in a very fast-paced world where we are always forced to be rushing. And when we finally catch our breath, all we really want to do is sleep.
However, even though Jesus understands us and loves us in the midst of this, He also calls us to something more: a true, honest, ever-present relationship with Him—a relationship that is fueled by continuously dwelling in Him. But what does that mean, and how can we practically do that?
The famous verse John 15:5 has some key insights into this as Jesus Himself says, “‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.’” The analogy that Jesus gives points to the image of a tree. If you chop off a branch or a flower from a tree, it will most likely survive for a while, but then it starts to become dry, withering away until it eventually dies. The same can happen to us. When we don’t stay connected with Jesus throughout our day, we may look like we’re doing all right—amazing, even—but sooner or later we begin to crumble…that is, until we get “plugged” back into Jesus. We can only go so long without connecting to Him because He is our only source of life.
The more of ourselves we pour out into our work, families, friends, etc., the more we must fill up with the Living Water, Jesus. A quick devotional in the morning is good, but it is not enough to fully sustain us. Jesus knows this, and He lovingly invites to stay in connection with Him throughout the whole day. This might seem impossible, but when we look at His Word, it is actually simpler than we think.
In the original writing of the New Testament, the word “remain” or “abide” in John 15:5 means “[to not] depart, [to not] leave, to continue to be present.” Or, in other words, to be continuously living each moment in Him. Now, the Bible teaches us that as soon as we become a believer, Christ is always in us, and we are always in Him. Yet Jesus still invites us to remain in Him. He is telling us that even though our days are busy, we don’t have to leave this sweet place of closeness and connection with Him. Rather, through open, honest communication with Him, we can stay connected all day long. This is not exhausting, but one of the most relieving, freeing aspects of life with Him. The God of the universe is also our closest Friend, and our friendship with Him doesn’t have to “pause” while we do our work.
Practically, this can be telling Him “thank You!” during your favorite subject or being honest with Him about a subject you don’t like. Many times I’ve told God, “You know how much I don’t like doing this…it’s frustrating, annoying, and I just want to be doing something else. But, I know it has to get done, so I need Your help, Lord. I can’t do this without You.” Whatever it looks like for you, being completely honest with God throughout my day—in the struggles, the joys, and everything in between—has helped me stay connected with Him. If it is a subject (like math homework) that I am able to concentrate on while music plays, putting on worship music has helped me a lot—changing my mood, lifting my eyes to Him, and filling me with joy, even in my least favorite subject. I encourage you, just as I encourage myself, to constantly ask yourself, “What are areas in my life where I can bring my attention to God, invite Him into, and get connected with Him?” I’ve found that even the most mundane moments can be filled with such precious closeness with Him, if I just choose to involve Him in simple ways. When I pray, I’ve also stopped imagining Him so far away in Heaven; instead I picture Him right in front of me in my room—because His Word teaches that He is not only up above, but with us right in this moment, wherever we may be.
Additionally, let us never forget the importance of spending one-on-one time with Him. Our relationship with Him involves staying connected throughout the day, but it also is crucial to sit with Him—no distractions. Psalm 46:10 talks about being still with God in order to know Him more deeply. To grow closer to Him requires us to slow down and stop hurrying around from one thing to the next. I know it is hard to find the time…but if we can make time to scroll on YouTube or social media, watch a movie, play a video game, or even chat with friends, then we can most certainly carve out time to quiet ourselves, slow down, and sit with Him, letting Him lavish His love upon us. We often miss His tender touch when we rush around and decide to spend our free time elsewhere. He’s just waiting for us to come back to Him as we grow in the process of staying connected with Him. I’m so grateful for our God who is patient with us, always calling us back to the safest place to be—Him.
By Nicole Sua
Image courtesy: Noah Bamford