Abide.
The Vine and the branches.
I read something this week and the word abide jumped out at me.
That’s not a word I use very often. It feels special and slow. Almost still.
The definition of abide is to accept or act in accordance with — but in Scripture, it feels deeper than that.
In Gospel of John, Jesus says:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” — John 15:4
When Jesus asks us to abide in Him, He is asking for more than belief.
More than imitation.
More than striving to become like Him.
It’s a steady connection. An interwoven life.
A branch and a vine — inseparable.
And here’s what struck me most:
Abide does not feel like a doing word.
It feels like a being word.
When you abide, you remain.
You stay.
You rest in what is already holding you.
The vine does the work.
The branch simply stays connected.
That’s something this Enneagram 3 task-master needs to remember.
God does not love me because of what I produce.
He does not love me because I achieve.
He loves me because I am His daughter.
Abiding is not about proving.
It is about belonging.
He is the vine.
We are the branches.
Fruit does not come from frantic effort — it comes from connection. The branch only produces what the vine allows it to produce.
Sometimes I forget that.
Sometimes I act like I am the vine. Just like I forget I am a sheep, not the shepherd.
But remembering that I am meant to abide slows me down.
It reminds me that He has already done the work.
I am simply meant to reflect His goodness.
Will you join me in abiding this week?
Abide in the One who holds the whole world in His hands. That sounds peaceful. And isn’t that what we are really after?
“Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28