My Favorite Word by Pastor Chris Symes
If you’ve been around me lately you know that I have a mild obsession with the word “abide”. In a conversation about faith or prayer, you are bound to hear me say it twice or maybe three times. It sort of reminds me of my younger days when a new word would seem to get stuck in my vocabulary, and I used it over and over again much to the irritation of my family and friends (“obvious” is one example). But this is more than just a glitch in my vocabulary; this is a conviction. I believe in this word, particularly for Cornerstone.
The key for me about the word comes from the fifteenth chapter of John’s gospel, among other places. “Abide in me,” Jesus says, “and I in you. As the branch cannot bear the fruit of 
itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me” (V. 4 in the New American Standard Version of the Bible). The word “abide” used here in John is the translation of the Greek word meno. Meno means “remain”, “stay”, even “persist” or “to last” in some places in the New Testament. It might be used when a father tells his children to remain in a certain place. It could be used when describing the family dog as staying with someone. Jesus used it here to describe the task of his disciples over the long-haul. To put it simply he calls His disciples to stay with Him, connected to Him in a relationship. This happens in a number of ways: obedience, prayer, scripture reading, fellowship with other believers, witnessing to others about Christ, and worship all accompanied by the command to love one another. The big idea, however, is ABIDE. Stay with Jesus. Jesus promises something called “fruit” when his disciples faithfully abide in Him, which is the life change we see in our own lives, in our church, among our neighbors, in our city, and even in our world. With all the brokenness around us, it sometimes makes me wonder how faithfully we have been holding to this simple call.
I think what I so appreciate about Jesus’ call here is that the command to abide is adaptable to any season of life we may find ourselves in. It’s an extraordinary word. It’s an ordinary word. Abide can be a wonderful word, like when you’re with your friends having so much fun you wish you could stay with them longer and the night would never end. There are times in life when abiding comes easy and enjoyable to us, because we feel close to God. These are times when we find joy in prayer, hearing His word, and encouraging others in the faith. Abide can also be a challenging word, like when things in life seem to be falling apart making the stress and anxiety overwhelming. Often the first thing to go in these times is our relationship with God. There are times when abiding is difficult. At other times we find the word dull. There will be periods of time when we just don’t feel like doing it; the desire is not there. We might be tired, or we’ve been focused on other things so much that our passion for God has been replaced by other passions. The word “abide” may seem like a boring word to us. But Jesus’ command is clear. If you want to experience His life-transforming power and love in your life and community, abide in Him. Even when the gales of life are blowing so strongly that you feel you are holding on to Jesus by one finger, when it would be so easy to let go, abide. Even when you have zero emotion to give to God and you feel drained, abide.
Abiding is life, not simply one moment in the day or one day a week. However, I have found it helpful to commit myself every morning to intentional abiding time with the Lord through prayer and scripture reading. Sometimes it doesn’t happen. I don’t beat myself up about it when it doesn’t. Sometimes I am ready and willing; sometimes I am sluggish and unwilling. Sometimes I feel like God is right there with me. Sometimes the room feels empty. But I can say this: I am convinced that this word will not let us down. I am convinced that Jesus won’t let us down. Abid-ing has not let me down. There is much more that could be unpacked here about the word, but I haven’t shared yet the true greatness of this word as Jesus uses it. The true treasure of what Jesus says here about abiding is not our doing it, but His doing it in us. As we abide, the Word of Life, the Holy Creator of all things, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, God promises to stay connected with us and in us.
So, if you don’t mind Church, I think I’ll keep using it.
Blessings,
Pastor Chris