4a Abide in Me,
Just as God’s spirit abides in us, we are called to abide in him. What does this mean? The word “abide” is translated from the Greek word menō (4), a primary verb meaning to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy). Some English words translators have used for menō are abide, continue, dwell, endure, remain, and tarry. This is no hurried endeavor but rather a calm wait, lingering in God’s presence, waiting on the Spirit to speak to our hearts. From Jesus’ perspective, he isn’t going anywhere. He is eager to speak. He’s not the one we’re waiting on. Rather, he is waiting on us. It is our task, our responsibility. It is the action of inaction we are to take. Jesus is calling us to linger in His presence or in His Word. But this lingering is harder than it sounds.
Overcome challenges to having time with God
Two challenges come readily to mind when we think of lingering in God’s presence. The first is the challenge of activity. The second is noise.
Our lives are busy and culture keeps it this way. Yet, dealing with the activity means finding a quiet place and a time to meet with God. Each season of life has its own demands, and somehow, no matter the season, we tend to fill our lives to overflowing, with commitments and to-do’s that are more than we can possibly accomplish. Many commitments are necessary and important, while some are time fillers which have some bend to them. No matter which stage of life you are in, only you can determine to carve out part of your day to be alone with God. Some people find early morning to be best, while others prefer the evening before going to bed. Stopping the activity, even for a few minutes, is the first step to abide in Jesus.
Now, about the noise. There are two types of noise, that of devices, and the noise in your head. Dealing with devices is challenging especially if you use your phone or computer to read Scripture or look up words in the text. Perhaps you can get a device you limit to Bible Study. Some people find it helpful to put their phones in a different room than the room they use for their devotions. Others get the phone distractions out of the way first, reading emails, news, and texts before having quiet time. This last method can be useful if you write down things you want to pray about later. However, reading texts or emails first will undoubtedly fill your mind with ideas that can hinder you having a quiet mind necessary for connecting with God. Either way, the phone can be a huge distraction and it is important to look at it as such.
Many people have become addicted to their phones. If you find it difficult to put your phone down to concentrate on God, consider doing a phone purge. Delete social media, news, and apps, keeping only the most crucial ones. Even after this, try putting your phone away for a period of time during the day or even for a full day or weekend. This type of “fast” from your phone, I believe, will break its hold on you. With one distraction hopefully under control, it is time we deal with the noise in our heads.
The thoughts in our heads can easily become a distraction when we are trying to focus our attention and quiet our hearts before God. At first, sitting quietly is hard because your brain may still be going a mile a minute. Keeping a pen and paper to jot down things you need to remember is one thing you can do. If you are one of those few individuals who have gone back to pen and paper to plan your day, keep it handy for this purpose. If you use your phone as your day planner, consider using a sheet of paper temporarily until you are through, then you can transfer your list to your phone. If there is something that you are concerned about that is taking up your mental space, make that a point of prayer, letting the issue kickstart your time with God, or write it down to pray about later. When you find your thoughts are veering off into imagination land, try to recognize this and put a stop to it as soon as you realize you are daydreaming. Ask God for help. He can nudge you when this is happening.
Overcome challenges to hearing from God
Now that we have a quiet place and time to meet with God, and we have dealt with the noise, there is one more thing to discuss that will keep us from hearing God speak. This is our heart posture. Take an inventory of your inner feelings and thoughts. Are you feeling bad about something you said or did? Are you angry with someone or about something? Do you have a certain negative attitude towards God, the Scriptures, or the Church? All these inner conflicts will be a roadblock between you and God.
If you are feeling bad about something you said or did, go to the person and apologize if they are available. But first, make sure it is something that was actually offensive. If you are extremely sensitive, it may be that what you said or did did not even register as offensive to the other person. If it was indeed a wrong thing to say or do, a simple apology is in order. Then, ask them to forgive you. This puts the responsibility for reconciliation on them and gives them the opportunity to clear their heart if they were offended to the point of being hurt or angry.
When we are angry it is a sign of feeling wronged. When we feel wronged, whether an actual offense or a misinterpreted event, we believe the offender owes us something. It is this owing that forgiveness releases. Vengeance is God’s and we will all stand before Him one day to receive what’s owed to us based on what we have done. When you forgive, you are putting the payment you feel owed to you back into God’s hands. Think of a courtroom. The judge sits elevated above the rest of the people in the room. We are all on the same level, with a sinful nature, wronging others, whether intentionally or not, and others wronging us, whether intentionally or not. God is the judge who alone knows everyone’s motives and hearts. He alone is in the position to judge. When you place the judgement back on God, there is a release of the negative emotion, depending of course on the severity and time proximity to the incident. The result should feel an emotional calm when you think about the situation and/or person. This in no way implies that what was done was OK. It simply relies on God to judge instead of you. I believe this is the only way a person can pray for their enemies, because once you’ve put God back as the judge, you realize the serious position the offender is in.
Lastly, how do we deal with any negative attitude towards God, the Scriptures, or the Church? The good news is that God is bigger than any attitude we have. God loves us and wants us to discuss any questions, doubts, or concerns with Him. He can take it. But we need to be honest. Sometimes the hardest part is admitting what we are really thinking or feeling. Once you express your doubts or concerns, you may not get a response immediately, but know that He knows and will be in the process of answering you. Be on the lookout for supportive evidence or a changed viewpoint to come your way.