Dadvotionals

Love Her Like Christ

Marriage | Part 2 of 5

About this series
As my son prepares to get married, I’ve been thinking about what I would want a young man to know before beginning his own marriage. Some of these lessons come from Scripture, some from more than 26 years of marriage, and quite a few from getting things wrong along the way. This series is about the wedding, the covenant that follows, and learning to build a marriage that loves well, forgives often, chooses each other daily, and keeps Christ at the center.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25–33

Last week, I wrote about the wedding—the celebration, the vows, and the importance of slowing down long enough to realize the weight of those two little words, “I do.”

But eventually the wedding ends.

Then you have to start living those words.

When I think about the kind of advice I want to give a young man beginning his marriage, I keep coming back to Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
Ephesians 5:25

I’ve read that verse plenty of times. I’ve heard sermons about husbands being the spiritual leaders of their homes and about the different roles God gives husbands and wives. Those are important conversations, but lately I’ve been struck by something much simpler.

Look at the standard Paul gives us.

Love her like Christ.

That’s a pretty high bar.

Jesus didn’t love us because we deserved it. He didn’t love us only when we were easy to love. He didn’t insist on getting His way or wait for us to do our part first. He loved sacrificially. He served. He forgave. Ultimately, He laid down His life for His bride.

And Paul looks at husbands and essentially says, Love your wife like that.

Even after all this time as a husband, I’m still learning what that means.

I used to think being a good husband was mostly about the big things. Provide for your family. Protect them. Be faithful. Work hard. Be there when they need you. And those things absolutely matter.

But I’ve discovered that most marriages aren’t lived in the big moments. They’re lived on ordinary Thursdays.

Loving your wife like Christ might mean listening when you’d rather fix the problem. It might mean putting down your phone when she wants to talk. Sometimes it means doing something you don’t particularly want to do simply because it matters to her. And sometimes it means swallowing your pride, admitting you were wrong, and saying you’re sorry without adding an explanation for why you were mostly right.

I’m still working on that last one.

The longer I’m married, the more I’m convinced that sacrificial love usually doesn’t feel very sacrificial. Most of the time, it’s just a hundred small decisions that communicate, ‘You matter to me more than my preference does’.

That’s also why I don’t think biblical leadership in marriage is primarily about being in charge. Jesus showed us a very different picture of leadership. He knelt down and washed feet. He put others before Himself. He gave rather than demanded.

A husband following Christ should probably look a lot like that.

That doesn’t mean becoming passive or never having an opinion. It means asking a different question. Instead of constantly wondering, What do I want from this marriage? we begin asking, How can I love my wife well today?

I’m not sure we ever completely figure that out. I certainly haven’t.

But maybe that’s part of the beauty of marriage. God gives us someone to love for a lifetime, and in the process of learning to love her more like Christ, He slowly makes us more like Christ too.

Sit With This

If Christ’s love for the church is the example for how a husband should love his wife, what would that change about the way you think about being a husband? Where might God be asking you to choose service over preference?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for showing us what real love looks like. Teach me to love with patience, humility, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Help me put aside selfishness and pride and learn to serve the woman You’ve given me to love. Use my marriage to make me more like You. Amen.

The Wedding

Marriage | Part 1 of 5

About this series
As my son prepares to get married, I’ve been thinking about what I would want a young man to know before beginning his own marriage. Some of these lessons come from Scripture, some from more than 26 years of marriage, and quite a few from getting things wrong along the way. This series is about the wedding, the covenant that follows, and learning to build a marriage that loves well, forgives often, chooses each other daily, and keeps Christ at the center.

Scripture: Matthew 19:4–6

In two weeks, my son gets married.

It’s strange even writing that. We’ve known this day was coming for a long time. We’ve talked about it, planned for it, and watched the date slowly work its way closer on the calendar. But now we’re measuring the time in days instead of months, and suddenly it feels very real.

In two weeks, my wife and I will watch the little boy we raised stand before God, his family, and his friends and become a husband.

That’s had me thinking a lot about marriage lately. There are plenty of things I want to tell him before he begins this next chapter of his life. Some I’ve learned through Scripture. Some I’ve learned through more than 26 years of marriage. And quite a few I’ve learned by getting them wrong first. Over the next few weeks, I want to share some of those lessons.

But before we talk about marriage, I think there’s something worth saying about the wedding itself.

Don’t miss it.

We spend months planning weddings, talking about them, paying for them, and worrying about a thousand little details. Then the day arrives and somehow disappears in a matter of hours. There will be people pulling you in different directions, pictures to take, hands to shake, and probably at least one thing that doesn’t go according to plan.

Let some of that go.

When she starts walking down the aisle, look at her. Really look at her. Look around at the people who came to celebrate with you. Hug your family. Laugh with your friends. Dance with your wife. Enjoy the food. Take the pictures. Don’t spend so much time worrying about what comes next that you miss what God has given you right now.

But in the middle of all that celebrating, remember that something much bigger is happening.

Jesus said:

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh… What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Matthew 19:5–6

I’ve read those verses plenty of times, but they hit a little differently when you’re preparing to watch your son live them.

A wedding isn’t simply a celebration of two people who love each other. It’s the beginning of a covenant. You’re standing before God and the people who matter most to you and making promises about a future you can’t possibly see yet.

That’s what strikes me about wedding vows. You don’t actually know what you’re promising to walk through together. You don’t know what life will look like five, ten, or thirty years from now. There will be incredible joys and there will be seasons harder than either of you expected.

And yet, you stand there anyway and say, “I do.”

Maybe that’s part of what makes the moment so beautiful. You’re not promising because you know exactly what the future holds. You’re promising that whatever the future holds, you’re going to face it together.

I understand the weight of that promise much more today than I did when my wife and I made it more than 26 years ago. Back then, I knew I loved her and wanted to spend my life with her. What I couldn’t have understood was just how much life would fit inside those vows.

I’ve learned that “I do” isn’t something you say once. In a lot of ways, you spend the rest of your marriage saying it.

So when the wedding day comes, enjoy it. Be present. Somewhere in the middle of all the noise and celebration, take a quiet second to look at your bride and thank God for her.

Eventually the guests will leave. The music will stop. The flowers will wilt. The pictures will become memories.

And the two of you will wake up married.

That’s when something even better begins.

Sit With This

A wedding asks you to make promises about a future you cannot see. Have you spent as much time preparing your heart for those promises as you’ve spent preparing for the day you’ll make them?

Prayer

Father, thank You for the gift of marriage. In the excitement of preparing for a wedding, help us remember the sacredness of the covenant being made. Teach us to keep You at the center of the promises we make and to trust You with all the years we cannot yet see. Amen.

The Journey Continues

Abide | Part 8 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 8 of 8

About this series

For years, I’ve read phrases like “abide in Me,” “remain in Christ,” and “in Him.” I believed them, but if I’m honest, I wasn’t always sure what they looked like on an ordinary Tuesday. This series isn’t written by someone who’s mastered abiding. It’s written by a fellow traveler who has become convinced that Jesus offers something deeper than simply trying harder. Together, let’s open God’s Word and discover what it really means to live in Christ.

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4

Eight weeks ago, we began this journey with a simple question: What does it really mean to abide in Christ? If you’re anything like me, you may have hoped there would be a simple answer—a checklist, a formula, or a few habits that would make everything click.

Instead, I think Jesus has been inviting us to something much better.

Over these past several weeks, we’ve seen that abiding isn’t another spiritual discipline to master. It’s not about earning God’s approval or trying harder to become the person we think He wants us to be. It’s about learning to live from a relationship that already exists because of what Christ has done for us.

We’ve talked about finding our identity in Christ instead of our failures, surrendering instead of striving, recognizing the Shepherd’s voice, and inviting Jesus into the ordinary moments of everyday life. We’ve also been reminded that when we drift—and we all do—His grace is always calling us home.

As I reflect on everything we’ve studied, I keep coming back to Paul’s words in Colossians:

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:3

That’s an incredible statement. Paul doesn’t simply say that Christ is part of our lives or even that He should be the most important part of our lives. He says that our very lives are hidden with Christ.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still learning what that means.

There are mornings when I still catch myself relying on my own wisdom before seeking His. There are days when I become distracted by work, responsibilities, and the pace of life. There are moments when I realize I’ve slipped back into measuring my walk with God by how well I’ve performed instead of how closely I’ve walked with Him.

Maybe that’s why I don’t think abiding is something we ever graduate from. It’s not a lesson we finish; it’s a relationship we continue to grow in. Every new season of life becomes another opportunity to trust Jesus more deeply, depend on Him more fully, and discover that His grace really is sufficient for whatever we’re facing.

As this series comes to an end, my prayer isn’t that you’ll remember something I wrote. I hope you’ll remember the invitation Jesus gave: “Abide in Me.” Those three words are just as meaningful today as they were when He first spoke them. They invite us to stop striving, stop pretending we can do this on our own, and simply remain close to the One who is our life.

The series may be ending, but the invitation isn’t.

In fact, I have a feeling we’re only beginning to understand what it truly means to live in Christ.

Sit With This

As you look back over the past eight weeks, what has God been teaching you? More importantly, what is one thing you want to carry with you into tomorrow? Ask the Lord to help that truth move from something you know to something you live.

Prayer

Father, thank You for meeting us throughout this journey. Thank You for patiently teaching us what it means to abide in Christ. As we move beyond this series, help us continue walking closely with You each day. May our lives be marked not by striving, but by a growing dependence on Jesus, and may the fruit You produce in us point others to You. Amen.

– End of Series —

When You Drift

Abide | Part 7 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 7 of 8

About this series

Scripture: John 21:15-19

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about studying what it means to abide in Christ is realizing that Jesus never expected His followers to be perfect. In fact, one of the clearest pictures of abiding in the New Testament comes from someone who failed in spectacular fashion.

Peter loved Jesus. There is no question about that. Yet, on the night Jesus was arrested, Peter denied even knowing Him—not once, but three times. Imagine the weight of that failure. Imagine the shame he must have carried after everything he had promised. If anyone could have believed he had blown his chance to follow Jesus, it was Peter.

But when Jesus met Peter after the resurrection, the conversation wasn’t what I would have expected. Jesus didn’t begin by replaying Peter’s failures or demanding an explanation. Instead, He cooked breakfast, invited Peter to sit with Him, and asked a simple question: “Do you love Me?”

I’ve read that passage many times, and I’m always struck by the gentleness of Jesus. He didn’t excuse Peter’s denial, but neither did He allow Peter’s failure to define the rest of his life. With each question, Jesus was restoring him and reminding him that his calling had not changed. “Feed My sheep.”

I wonder how often we do the opposite. When we drift from Christ, our first instinct is usually to withdraw. We tell ourselves we’ll get serious about our faith again after we’ve cleaned up our attitude, conquered a particular sin, or become more consistent in our spiritual habits. Without realizing it, we begin treating God’s grace like something we have to earn back.

That’s not the gospel.

The invitation to abide has never depended on our ability to stay close to Jesus. It has always depended on His willingness to hold on to us. Every time we recognize we’ve drifted, His invitation remains the same: “Come back.” Not after you’ve fixed yourself. Not after you’ve had a better week. Today.

I’m grateful for that because I’ve needed that invitation more times than I can count. There have been seasons when I’ve realized I’ve been relying on my own strength, allowing busyness to crowd out my time with the Lord, or simply becoming distracted by life. In every one of those moments, Jesus hasn’t met me with condemnation. He’s met me with grace and invited me to begin again.

Maybe that’s where you are today. If so, remember Peter. Your failure is not the end of your story. The Savior who restored Peter is still restoring people today, and He is still inviting His children to abide in Him.

Sit With This

Has disappointment, guilt, or shame caused you to pull away from God? If so, what would it look like to stop hiding and simply accept His invitation to come back today?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You that Your grace is greater than my failures. Thank You for loving me enough to call me back when I drift. Help me stop believing I have to earn my way back into Your presence and remind me that Your invitation has always been the same: “Follow Me.” Amen.

Tuesday Morning Faith

Abide | Part 6 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 6 of 8

About this series

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17

One of the things I’m discovering is that abiding isn’t something we practice only during our quiet time. If that’s all it is, we’ve missed the invitation Jesus gave us.

Abiding is meant to follow us into the ordinary moments of life.

It’s easy to feel close to God while reading Scripture with a cup of coffee in a quiet room. It’s much harder when you’re sitting in traffic, responding to a difficult email, dealing with an unhappy customer, or having the same disagreement with your spouse for the third time. Those are the moments that reveal whether I’m relying on my own strength or remembering that Christ is with me.

Paul paints a beautiful picture of this in Colossians 3. He tells us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He reminds us to forgive as the Lord forgave us, to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, and to let His Word dwell in us richly.

Notice what Paul doesn’t say.

He doesn’t tell us to grit our teeth and become more patient. He doesn’t say, “Try harder to be kind.” Instead, everything he describes flows from the reality that our lives are now hidden with Christ. In other words, these qualities aren’t something we’re trying to manufacture; they’re the fruit of a life that’s being shaped by Jesus.

That has changed the way I think about my day.

Before a meeting, I can ask, “Lord, help me represent You well.”
When someone frustrates me, I can pause before responding and remember how patiently Christ has dealt with me.
When I’m anxious about something I can’t control, I can remind myself that the peace Paul describes isn’t something I have to create—it’s something Christ offers to those who trust Him.

Those prayers only take a few seconds, but I’ve found they change the direction of my heart. They interrupt my tendency to react on autopilot and remind me that I’m not walking through the day alone.

Maybe that’s what abiding looks like more often than we realize. It’s not escaping everyday life to find Jesus. It’s inviting Jesus into everyday life.

The truth is, most of our spiritual growth doesn’t happen during extraordinary moments. It happens in hundreds of ordinary decisions to trust Christ, depend on Him, and follow Him right where we are.

And maybe that’s why Paul ends this passage by saying, “Whatever you do…do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” He wasn’t just talking about ministry. He was talking about all of life.

It turns out that abiding isn’t reserved for Sunday mornings.

It’s meant for Tuesday mornings too.

Sit With This

Think about tomorrow. Where are you most likely to forget that Christ is with you? Choose one part of your day—a meeting, your commute, dinner with your family, or a difficult conversation—and intentionally invite Jesus into that moment before it begins.

Prayer

Father, thank You for caring about every part of my life, not just the spiritual moments. Help me remember that You are with me at work, at home, in conversations, and in every decision I make. Teach me to abide in You throughout the ordinary moments of my day, trusting that You will produce the fruit I could never produce on my own. Amen.

Learning the Shepherd’s Voice

Abide | Part 5 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 5 of 8

About this series

Scripture: John 10:1-16, 27

One of the questions I’ve wrestled with over the years is, “How do I know when God is leading me?” I’ve prayed for direction about work, family decisions, ministry opportunities, and countless everyday situations. Sometimes I wished God would simply write the answer across the sky and remove all doubt.

But Jesus paints a different picture in John 10.

He describes Himself as the Good Shepherd and says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” That’s a comforting promise, but it also raises an honest question: What does it mean to hear His voice?

For a long time, I thought the answer was finding some unmistakable feeling or waiting for a dramatic moment of clarity. While God is certainly capable of getting our attention in extraordinary ways, I’ve come to believe that He most often leads us through an ongoing relationship with Him.

Think about a shepherd and his sheep. Sheep don’t recognize the shepherd’s voice because they attended a class or memorized a technique. They recognize his voice because they’ve spent time with him. Day after day, they learn to trust him. They discover that his voice leads to safety, provision, and life.

Isn’t that true of our relationship with Jesus as well?

The more time I spend in God’s Word, the more familiar I become with His heart. The more I pray, the more I learn to bring my concerns to Him before rushing ahead with my own plans. The more I walk with Him, the easier it becomes to recognize when my thoughts are pulling me away from His character instead of toward it.

I’ve noticed that God’s leading is often quieter than I expect. It may come as a Scripture that keeps coming to mind, a growing conviction that aligns with His Word, or a gentle reminder to choose humility, forgiveness, or patience when my natural instinct is to do the opposite. Those moments aren’t dramatic, but they are deeply personal.

That’s one of the beautiful things about abiding. As we remain close to Jesus, we begin to recognize the Shepherd’s voice—not because we’ve mastered some spiritual formula, but because we’re getting to know Him better.

I’m still learning that. There are days when I wish His direction felt more obvious. But I’m discovering that my confidence doesn’t come from always knowing the next step. It comes from knowing the One who is leading me. And that’s enough.

Sit With This

When you’re facing a decision, where do you turn first? Do you immediately begin analyzing every possible outcome, or do you first spend time with the Shepherd, trusting that the One who knows you is faithful to lead you?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for being my Good Shepherd. Help me know Your voice by knowing You more deeply. As I spend time in Your Word and walk with You each day, teach me to trust Your leading, even when I can’t see the entire path ahead. Amen.

Staying Connected

Abide | Part 4 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 4 of 8

About this series

Scripture: John 15:4-5

Have you ever reached the end of a busy day and realized you hardly thought about Jesus? Not because you were running from Him or intentionally ignoring Him, but because life simply happened. Work demanded your attention. The phone kept ringing. The calendar was full. Before you knew it, the day was over.

I don’t think that’s an uncommon experience. In fact, I wonder if one of the greatest threats to abiding isn’t rebellion—it’s distraction. Most of us don’t wake up and decide to live independently from Christ. We just get busy enough that our attention slowly drifts away from Him.

When Jesus told His disciples to “abide in Me,” He wasn’t talking about a once-a-day connection. A branch doesn’t connect itself to the vine each morning and disconnect at lunchtime. It remains. Its life is found in an ongoing connection to its source.

That has challenged the way I think about my own walk with Christ. For years, I viewed my quiet time as the place where I connected with God so I could make it through the rest of the day. But I’m beginning to realize that my morning time with Him isn’t meant to carry me through the day by itself. It’s meant to begin a conversation that continues all day long.

Maybe abiding looks more ordinary than we’ve imagined. Maybe it’s whispering a prayer before a difficult meeting. Maybe it’s thanking God while driving home from work. Maybe it’s asking for wisdom before responding to an email or choosing patience when someone interrupts our plans. Those moments may seem small, but they become reminders that Jesus was never meant to be part of our morning routine—He is meant to be present in every part of our day.

The encouraging part is that abiding doesn’t require perfection. There will be moments when our minds wander, our schedules take over, and we realize we’ve been relying on ourselves again. When that happens, Jesus doesn’t shame us for drifting. He simply invites us back. Every moment becomes another opportunity to turn our hearts toward Him and remember that apart from Him, we can do nothing of lasting value.

I’m learning that staying connected isn’t about trying harder to think about Jesus every second of the day. It’s about developing a growing awareness that He is already with me. The more I recognize His presence in the ordinary moments of life, the more natural it becomes to depend on Him instead of myself.

Sit With This

What ordinary part of your day could become a reminder to turn your attention back to Christ? Maybe it’s your morning commute, your lunch break, or the walk from your desk to your next meeting. Choose one moment tomorrow and let it become an invitation to abide.

Prayer

Father, thank You that You never leave me, even when I become distracted by the demands of life. Help me recognize Your presence in the ordinary moments of my day and remind me that abiding isn’t something I do once each morning—it’s the way You invite me to live. Teach me to remain close to You, one moment at a time. Amen.

From Striving to Surrender

Abide | Part 3 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 3 of 8

About this series

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had days where you ended your quiet time thinking, “I need to do better today.” Read a little more. Be a little more patient. Lose your temper a little less. Pray a little longer.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to grow. In fact, spiritual growth is part of following Jesus. But I’ve started asking myself a different question:

What if my focus has been in the wrong place?

One verse has been challenging me lately more than almost any other:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…”
Galatians 2:20

I’ve read that verse many times, but I’m not sure I’ve slowed down enough to let it sink in.

Paul doesn’t say, “I’m trying really hard to live like Christ.” He says, “Christ lives in me.” That’s a profound difference.

So much of my Christian life has been spent asking, “How can I be more like Jesus?” While that’s certainly a worthy desire, I’m beginning to wonder if Scripture points us to something even deeper. What if the goal isn’t simply to imitate Jesus, but to live in such close dependence on Him that His life is increasingly expressed through ours?

That changes the conversation.

Instead of relying on my own patience, I ask Christ to produce His patience in me.
Instead of forcing myself to love difficult people, I ask Him to love them through me.
Instead of trying to manufacture peace, I remember that the Prince of Peace lives within me.

Does that happen automatically? No. Every day still requires surrender. Every day I have to choose whether I’ll rely on my own strength or trust the One who has already made His home in me.

Maybe that’s what abiding really begins to look like—not trying harder to become someone I’m not, but surrendering more fully to the One who already lives within me.

I’m realizing those are two very different ways to live.

Sit With This

As you think about today, where are you relying mostly on your own strength? What might change if you intentionally invited Christ to live through you in that situation?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for making Your home in me. Forgive me for the times I rely on my own strength instead of Yours. Teach me what it means to surrender each part of my day to You, trusting that You are able to do through me what I could never accomplish on my own. Amen.

Who Am I Now?

Abide | Part 2 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 2 of 8

About this series

Scripture: Romans 6:1-11

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to define yourself by your struggles? We say things like, “I’ve always been impatient,” or, “I’ll probably wrestle with this for the rest of my life.” Maybe we never say those words out loud, but deep down we begin to believe they’re true.

I know I have.

The problem is, while those struggles may still be real, they no longer define who we are. That’s one of the beautiful truths Paul reminds us of in Romans 6.

When we placed our faith in Christ, something far greater happened than simply receiving forgiveness. We were united with Him. His death became our death. His burial became our burial. His resurrection became our resurrection. The old person we used to be—the one separated from God and enslaved to sin—is no longer our identity.

That doesn’t mean we stop struggling. We all know that’s not true. But it does mean we stop introducing ourselves by our failures. We are no longer defined by our worst moments, our greatest weaknesses, or the sins we’ve battled for years. If we are in Christ, our identity has fundamentally changed.

I wonder how often we ask God to help us become someone He already says we are. We pray for victory while forgetting that He has already given us a new identity. We spend so much time fighting yesterday’s battles that we forget we’re no longer wearing yesterday’s name.

I’m beginning to realize that abiding starts here. Before it’s about what I do, it’s about believing what God says is true about me. I’m not trying to earn my place in His family—I already belong there because of Christ. I’m not working toward acceptance—I am living from it.

That changes the way I want to approach each day. Instead of asking, “Will I be a good enough Christian today?” I can begin asking, “How would someone who belongs to Jesus live today?” That’s a very different question, and I think it’s one that leads us back to abiding.

Sit With This

When you think about yourself, what comes to mind first? Is your identity shaped more by your past and your failures, or by what God says is true because you are in Christ?

Prayer

Father, thank You that my identity is no longer rooted in my past, my failures, or my performance. Help me believe what You say is true about me, and teach me to live each day as someone who truly belongs to You. Amen.

The Invitation

Abide | Part 1 of 8

Abide: Learning to Live in Christ | Part 1 of 8

About this series

Scripture: John 15:1-11

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to turn your relationship with Jesus into a checklist?

Read your Bible. Pray. Go to church. Serve. Give. Share your faith.

None of those things are bad. In fact, they’re all good. But somewhere along the way, I started believing that the more boxes I checked, the closer I’d become to Jesus.

Then I read John 15 again.

“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

Jesus didn’t say, “Work harder.” He didn’t say, “Do more.” He didn’t even say, “Produce more fruit.” He simply said, “Abide in Me.”

That word abide means to remain, to stay, to dwell. It’s the picture of a branch staying connected to the vine. The branch doesn’t wake up every morning determined to produce grapes. It simply stays connected. The fruit comes naturally because of its connection to the vine. I wonder how many times I’ve reversed that order. I’ve focused on producing fruit instead of staying connected to the One who produces it.

Maybe you’ve been there too.

We measure our spiritual lives by how much we accomplish, while Jesus measures them by whether we’re remaining in Him. I’m beginning to think abiding is less about adding another spiritual discipline and more about changing where my heart rests.

It’s starting my day by remembering that apart from Jesus, I can’t become the husband, father, friend, or leader He’s calling me to be.

It’s pausing before a difficult conversation to whisper, “Lord, I need You.”

It’s recognizing that my strength, wisdom, patience, and love aren’t things I manufacture – they’re fruit that grows as I stay connected to Christ.

That’s a very different way of living. And if I’m honest… it’s one I’m still learning.

Sit With This

Where have you been measuring your walk with Jesus by what you’re doing for Him instead of how closely you’re walking with Him?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for inviting me into something deeper than simply trying harder. Teach me what it means to abide in You. Help me stay close to You today and trust that You’ll produce the fruit only You can. Amen.