So, July is my first “big” stepping stone in this World Race journey. July marks 6 months until I launch in January. When I realized this, I didn’t feel pressured, overwhelmed, or concerned. I actually, to my surprise, felt the same as I did before I realized it was 6 months until I left; I felt taken care of. Jesus takes care of us, always. But, he first takes care of our heart, it is what he is most concerned with. He never wavers, he never fails us. I’m beginning to understand this on a much deeper level. Through His great love and continual care of my heart I am learning just how helpless I am. How much I NEED him for ALL things, how absolutely evident, markedly sustained, and reliant I am on Jesus. You hear it all the time “How much we need Jesus”, “You can’t take your next breath without Jesus”, but truly we can’t even love without Him. HE IS LOVE. Just think about the ones you love most in this world. The amount of love I have for my family bewilders me and leaves my heart staggering, trying to find a foothold in the vastness of my affection, enjoyment, devotedness, allegiance, and total fondness I have for them. And to think that that love is His and He loves me more than that! It’s almost as if as soon as I begin to get a morsel of understanding, my heart can’t interpret it and begins to unfold into a grateful mess. His love is where I want to remain, it’s where we were made to live. We are not complete without His love.
This is why I relate to John. John speaks my love language. My heart clicks with John on a different level than when I ready Matthew, Mark, or Luke. In John 15 verses 1-17 He tells us what it means to remain in His love. ” Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” [verse 4]. “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart form me you can do nothing.” [verse 6]. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” [ verse 9]. To remain or abide in the original Greek means “Not to depart. To continue to be present. To be held, kept continually.” Just like in order for a tree to grow or produce any fruit, to even live, it MUST be attached to the root. It must “continue to be present and kept continually.” When a tree branch is cut from the tree it looses it’s life source, it cannot do anything. Just is our relationship with Christ. God is the gardener and he tends to our heart, he prunes and cuts off the things that are not good for us, that inhibit good fruit from growing and He holds us and continually attends to us with great care. He has been pruning my heart, cutting away things that cause me to rely on myself. I’m learning to rest easy and just remain in Him.
You see, apart from Him we can do nothing of eternal significance or glory. We NEED him. Just like a tree branch needs to be connected to the root, so we need to be CONTINUALLY kept and remain in His love. He has been teaching me that He keeps me and cares for me today, in 6 months when I leave on this journey, and everyday in between. He cares for my heart and is teaching me to remain in Him, not rely on my own abilities, knowledge, or understanding. Which, when I read back to myself sounds so easy. Christ’s call is simple, but it is not easy. There’s a difference, and I’m thankful that He makes it so simple and yet helps me in the hard things that come with walking down His path. So, as you are reading this today where are you? Are you trying to make it on your own with relentless strife or resting and remaining in His love? Let’s remain and let Him hold us and sustain us.
“Jesus understood his purpose was to save us not from pain and suffering, but from meaninglessness.” Erwin McManus, The Barbarian Way.
Remaining by His Grace,
Chelsea
