Thought of the Day !!

Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
John 15:4 (NRSV)

Jesus says that if we abide in him that he will also abide in us. This statement is about our relationship with him. The Greek word used here for abide is "meno", and meno means to abide or to remain or to dwell. But it can be put another way as well. In a Gospel of John class in seminary I learned that this word's true meaning is something like "to be at home with". And from this we get the translation abide.

Let's look at this statement by Jesus again as we change the word abide. "Be at home in me as I am at home in you." How does that sound to you? I like to think about being able to be at home in Jesus and him in me. It's a comfortable peaceful feeling. For me being at home means being able to kick back and relax. When you're over someone's house and they say make yourself at home, it normally means act like this is your place. Check the fridge. Take your shoes off. I'd like to think that I can have this feeling in Jesus and that he's comfortable enough with me to do the same in me.

Some Christians are actually uncomfortable with Jesus making himself at home in their lives. Even though we want to be closer to Christ and be true Christians, often times people fear that if Jesus truly abides in them that there will be more change than they want to admit to. And I think we're all scared of change to some degree or another. But the fact is, if Jesus abides in us and is at home in us, he takes that fear away little by little until it's totally gone.

When we have this kind of abiding relationship with Christ, we will bear fruit. This happens because we are working not only with Jesus, but he's also working through us since he's at home IN us.

If you haven't asked Jesus to make his home in you where he's comfortable living at all times, think about doing so today. It makes for a much happier and productive Christian.

In the love of Christ,
greg