You And Me Forever: Marriage In Light Of EternitySample

"Abiding"

If you’re reading this, you no doubt want to be close to God. But how does that actually work? The concept of being close to your spouse is pretty tangible, but what does it mean to be close to God?

Thankfully, it’s not something we have to do in our own strength. This is God’s desire as well. He wants us to be close to Him, and He promises: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). 

In John 15, Jesus offers an extended parable to help us understand how this works. He compares us to branches, and Himself to a vine. God the Father is the vinedresser who ensures that everything grows appropriately. The call in John 15 is for us to “abide” in Jesus. 

Think of branches on a vine. They grow and produce grapes. That’s it. But they don’t do it on their own. They grow because they are attached to the vine. As soon as a branch gets pruned from the vine, it withers and dies. So the only important thing for a branch to do is stay attached to the vine. 

This is what it means to “abide” or “remain” in Jesus. It means that we stay connected to Him. We remain with Him. We sit with Him, spending time with Him. We follow Him, doing the things He says and continually coming back to what we know He wants us to do. It’s impossible to be connected to Jesus without simply spending time with Him.

Discuss with your spouse: How can you support each other in abiding in Jesus?

(Optional) To go deeper, watch this video from youandmeforever.org