Stop Striving. Start Abiding.

In a few weeks, I’ll be leading a retreat for a group of leaders that I coach. We’re going to be diving into John 15 and Jesus’s teaching on the vineyard. The passage is especially relevant to leaders but also includes life lessons for all.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually” (Isaiah 27:2–3). What a beautiful thought! The Lord Himself is continually watering and refreshing us as part of His vineyard. It is this constant refreshment for our souls that allows us to continually bear fruit.

I don’t know about you, but I love that! As a natural achiever, I have often thought of abiding in Christ as something I need to work harder at. What Christ is inviting me into is a deep, restful relationship with Him where He continually refreshes my soul.

Often, in our culture, we value productivity and accomplishment. As a result, we live at a frenetic pace, becoming exhausted as we strive. What Jesus was inviting His disciples into was completely different. He was offering an invitation of deep connection and rest. When you are deeply connected to the vine, you can rest, knowing that your fruitfulness will flow out of intimacy with Christ.

Is this an invitation to be lazy? No. Our responsibility is to stay attentive to the presence of Christ. His responsibility is to hold us and refresh us with His living water.

The question then becomes, how do we live attentive to Christ’s presence?

Here are a couple of suggestions that have helped me:

Slow Down and Linger. Many of us are used to having time with Jesus in the morning or the evening. Maybe you read Scripture and pray. However, there’s a sense of underlying hurry. You have a lot to do, so you want to get it done and move on. What if, instead, you spoke to your soul, reminding yourself that you are not in a rush? You can linger for a few extra minutes in God’s presence. Sure, you have a lot to do. But take a deep breath and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet your soul. When you live attentive to Christ, the things that are important will get done.

Open Your Hands and Receive God’s Refreshment. God Himself promises to water your soul continually. It can be a good practice to open your hands as a symbolic picture that you are ready to receive His refreshment throughout the day. Entering each day with a posture that says, “I am ready, Lord, to willingly receive all You have for me,” will change the trajectory of your life.

Redefine Success. We live in a success-driven culture. You have ideas of what it looks like to be successful in the workplace, in your home with your family, or in the financial realm. Those ideas can spill into your spiritual walk. Instead, remind yourself that success in God’s kingdom looks a lot like faithfulness. He wants us to stay attentive to Him. So success might be whether or not you stayed in touch with Him throughout the day. He longs to be with you. He understands your life and the things that drive you. So ask Him how to remain faithful. He loves to answer that request.

This week, relax. Don’t push quite so hard. Remember that it is the Lord who will water your life and bring forth fruit. You need only to remain. He is faithful, and He will do it.

This week on the Connected Mom Podcast, we are re-airing our conversation with Jill Lillard on staying attuned to your kids. This is a great episode, and with a new school year on the horizon, I highly recommend it!

I’m hearing a lot of great feedback on Friend-Wise. It’s a great short book to use even as a devotional. Why not grab a copy and also grab one for a friend?