Lord’s Library contributor Dr. Cindy Jones offers an acronym on abiding in Christ during the Christmas rush. Check out Cindy’s blog: Hope for the Broken. Lord’s Library’s Ministry Leaders Series is a collection of contributed articles written by ministry leaders on key Christian topics.
We just celebrated Thanksgiving. After that, it was Black Friday and things kicked into high gear to get ready for Christmas. But, I got to thinking.
When most people read John 15:1-14 they usually end up talking about bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. That is an important principle for us to live by. If we’re true disciples of Jesus Christ, we should desire to bear much fruit for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
However, as I read this recently, I had what I thought might be a unique perspective on it.
In this passage in John 15, two verses stood out to me. The first is in verse 5, which says: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” As I read this, I thought about how we all are in the “rush mode” of getting ready for Christmas. The Lord spoke to my heart through this and reminded me that we must keep our focus on God, His Word, and His son, Jesus – the reason for the season.
Maintaining this focus will help us be less stressed with more opportunities to bear fruit for the Lord.
Note: This is the first of three Christmas articles that I will share leading up to Christmas. The Holiday can be a difficult time. Just remember you are not alone!
Abiding in Christ During Christmas
Understanding that in this passage Jesus is the Vine we’re to abide in, let’s see what we can learn about abiding in the Vine. I have made an acronym of the word “abide” from which we can glean five principles of abiding: Apply, Build, Involve, Deny, and Examine:
Apply
If we’re going to walk in tune with the Lord, we’re going to have to know His Word. I don’t mean that you have to be a scholar or read twenty-five chapters a day. Just be consistent in reading something from the bible every day.
See 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
Build
Ask the Lord to help you build these qualities in your life. They will certainly be helpful in crowded stores!
See Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Involve
The believers in the early church stayed in close contact encouraging each other and they were committed to involvement in their local church.
See Acts 2:46-47: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
Deny
Again, if we keep Jesus first in our life, and think of others more than ourselves, we’ll be less apt to growl back at another tired shopper.
See Matthew 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Examine
We must regularly take inventory of our lives to make sure that we’re living in righteousness.
See 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Earlier I mentioned two verses that stood out in John 15. We looked at verse 5. Now let’s look at verse 11: “He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.” These things refer to the Scriptures Jesus shares in verses 1-10. So, what Jesus is saying to us is that if we abide in him, we will have joy!
What a promise to hold on to as we move through December! The stress of shopping, the pain of being alone, missing a loved one, financial strain, or otherwise. As we abide in Jesus in the midst of it all, we can still have joy in our hearts.
Be encouraged, my friend. Even in the stresses of life, even in the rush of the holiday, we can call on the grace of God to strengthen us as we abide in Him.
If you are struggling, pray the following: “Lord, I am hurting, I am tired, I feel so alone. Please send Your Spirit, the Comforter, to come alongside me. Help me to focus on You so that I may have joy in this season of celebrating the birth of Your Son. In Jesus name, amen.”
Until next time, I pray that you are filled with the overflowing joy, love, and peace of the Lord!
and every day. Amen.
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- An Acronym On Abiding in Christ During the Christmas Rush - December 14, 2024
- Being a Servant Leader: An Acronym, Key Bible Verses & Meaning - August 23, 2024
- Galatians 6:9-10 Commentary: A Perspective on Encouragement - June 21, 2024
