via TJC
“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.”
–John 15:5
Before you read, go back & read yesterday’s DBO if you haven’t. We specifically talked about God’s pruning, how He allows things that sometimes hurt (e.g. a broken friendship, a friend’s house catches on fire, a crying baby repeatedly interrupting sleep, etc.).
Alright, now that we understand “pruning” perfectly… What do we do now? now that He has pruned us? now that He has made room for something new & beautiful to grow?
Jesus tells us the answer: “abide.” Other translations say “remain.”
If I haven’t spent time abiding in Jesus on a particular day, I find I am 99% more likely to do the following things:
Lose my patience with my wife
Lose my patience with my daughter
Watch pornography & masturbate
Be lazy & watch too much football
Listen to meaningless football podcasts instead of praising God in worship
Overeat
Get to bed later than I ought to
Daily Battle Order:
What does “abiding in Jesus” look like for you today? Here are some potential ideas for you to borrow:
Set aside some time to be in prayer and His Word. An hour is great, but maybe you just need to shoot for 15 minutes–that’s great too.
Memorize a verse. Think of one the Holy Spirit really emphasized for you recently. Take an index card, write the reference on one side, and write the verse on the other. Put it on the toilet tank. The next time you drop the kids off at the pool, leave the phone outside and work on memorizing the verse.
Connect with an Ally. Call a warrior to share Quiet Times, recite memory verses, check in on life/marriage/ministry, and pray for each other.
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