What does it mean to abide in Christ? In John 15:15 Jesus told His disciples:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing”.

I love God’s creation, especially beautiful flowers. We have lots of potted plants along the entryway to our home. Because I don’t possess a green thumb, I’m grateful when flowers bloom. My flowering plants are a visual lesson of abiding in Christ. I know when I water them and feed them well, flowers burst out in vibrant colors. However, when I neglect to water plants, especially in the Texas heat, they wither and fail to bloom.

Our Christian life parallels plant life. I love what Warren Wiersbe, former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago wrote:

“Great trees send their roots down into the earth to draw up water and minerals. The most important part of a tree is the part you cannot see, the root system … And the most important part of the Christian’s life is the part that only God sees. Unless we draw upon the deep resources of God by faith, we fail against the pressures of life.”

Do you know Christians who vibrant with joy, who forget about themselves and care for others, who desire to glorify God each and every day? Then you can be assured that they do what only God sees: they spend time in His Word daily, praying for grace and strength to apply it. Their roots go down deep in Christ as their love for Him grows over the years. They have let suffering refine them without growing bitter. Their dependence on Christ alone showcases their faith in God. Much fruit is evident in their lives because of all of this.

Don’t we all want to bear much fruit? Here is a prayer from The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions:

“May I learn the holy art of abiding in Thee, of being in the world and not of it, of making everything not only consistent with but conducive to my religion (to abiding in Christ).”

We have a heavenly Father who desires our fellowship daily, who sent His Son to die and rise again so that we could come boldly into His presence. Jesus gave us this promise:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

May we all obtain this abundant life in Christ by continually abiding in Him!