abide & obey

Ever been in a season where you didn't really know what God wanted you to do? Where you were afraid of somehow missing out on His plan for your life? Where you were praying and praying with seemingly no direction?

I was recently in a conversation with a friend who felt this way. I believe the Lord used me in that moment to speak truth, and I wanted to share with you all what the Lord put on my heart that day because I believe it can encourage you.

In this conversation, my friend said that they were waiting for an answer on what to do, but what were they supposed to do in the meantime?

After a quick prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide me, I said, "In the meantime, just abide and obey."

My friend asked me to elaborate, and I referenced back to Matthew 6:33 in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

In this passage, Jesus tells us to "take no thought" for our lives and instead to seek first the Kingdom. So, essentially, rather than fearing that we're somehow going to miss out on His plan, we're supposed to seek first the Kingdom. If you're seeking first the Kingdom of God, if you're abiding and obeying, you're not going to miss His plan. When you're seeking God and His Kingdom first, He's going to work things out exactly how they're supposed to be.

This idea of abiding comes from John 15. John 15:4-5 says this, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

If you want to live out God's plans for your life, you need to walk with God, you need to abide in Him. That may sound obvious, but I think so often we forget that and start trying to make things happen for ourselves.

Abide in Jesus. Spend time with Him. Rest in His presence. Read and meditate on His Word. Talk to Him.

Obedience may seem like the more complicated one. You may be wondering, "How can I obey if God hasn't given me direction on what to do?"

Listen to 2 Peter 1:3: "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue."

God has given us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness. Right now, you may feel like you don't have clear direction on what to do, but God has given you everything you need to live a life that is honoring to Him.

He's given you His Spirit who will guide you and teach you how to live like Jesus!

He's given you His Word, and while there aren't verses in there about a specific conflict you're having with someone, God does it make it clear in Philippians 2 that we are to esteem others as better than ourselves and to look to the things of others, not just to the things of ourselves. He's made it clear in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is patient, kind, is not self-seeking, keeps no record of wrongs, etc. So, you can take what God has clearly laid out in His Word for how we are to treat other people and then apply that to your specific situation.

1 Corinthians 15:38 says this, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

If you're "always abounding in the work of the Lord," you're not going to "miss out" on His plan for your life! When you abide in Jesus and obey His Word to the best of your ability, you're going to be walking in step with the Spirit who will get you to where you need to be. It may not be where you wanted to go because sometimes God's plan doesn't always line up with ours, but I can promise you that what He has for you is what's best for you. Period.

I hope this encourages you today that sometimes things are a whole lot more simple than we make them. Abide in Christ. Obey His Word. You'll be amazed at the fruit that comes from that and what God does in you.