Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

THEME OF THE DAY: LIVING THE REAL CHRISTIAN LIFE. Fellow Christian, we need Christ. Not just to save us but to sustain us. Not just to sustain us through life’s trials, but to empower us to live the Christian life as God intends; full of joy, purpose, influence, zeal, excitement, even exuberance, and with a passion that people, all people, when in our presence notice a distinct difference in us because of Christ in us. When it comes to the Christian life, it is all Christ, and not just about Christ, but learning to abide in Christ. Remember the Parable of the Vine and branches in John 15:1-11? Jesus told us many things in this passage, but two are critical to understand the Christian life and prevent it from becoming a dull routine of conduct which is a gross misrepresentation of the Christian life.

First, Jesus defines the Christian life as the “abiding in Him life”. He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Don’t merely look at this and say, “I get that. I can do nothing without my Lord. I need His power every day in all that I do. I need Him to help me be a good parent, spouse, worker, friend, and fellow Christian to my brothers and sisters. I also need His strength to get me through my days with all the demands and challenges I face.” All that is true, but that isn’t the primary lesson from Jesus. Our Lord is not to be viewed as an energy source for living out our lives. Of course He does this, but if we reduce Jesus down to just our Divine Helper, we won’t be walking or abiding in Him in a deepening personal relationship. It will be mechanical, one-way, and all about getting from Him, instead of abiding in Him. It will show in our prayer lives. We will pray heavily imbalanced. Our prayer lives will be more about asking Him for things and help than going to prayer just to be with Him. Test this out. When is the last time we spent time, even significant time, maybe thirty minutes to an hour, just meditating and talking to the Lord about Him, worshipping Him, and expressing thanksgiving to Him with only one petition – more of Him? The Christian life is about walking with Christ, moment-by-moment abiding in an awareness of His Person, and not merely crying out to Him when in a tough spot we cannot handle on our own. Don’t put Him behind a glass case with a sign on it, “Break in case of emergency.” He is too wonderful for such.

Another thing the Lord teaches us about the abiding Christian life is that it is based on His Word and His love. He says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:7-9). Friends, never open the Bible and start reading without the simple prayer, “Father, let me see Your Son. Please make me sensitive to the Spirit’s illumination of the Lord Jesus.” The Bible reveals Christ. We come to it to encounter Him and it is an encounter of love. If we want to be consistent in our Bible, always remember it as the love letter from the Father showing us His Son. That is enough to make time in the Word a daily delight. But that also identifies a warning. Neglect the Word and our abiding in Christ ceases. And when abiding ceases, welcome dry, dull, burdensome, lifeless, and stale Christian experience. In fact, there will be no experience. To neglect the Word is to neglect Christ. May the Lord show us more and more the beauty of Himself moving us to never neglect the means He shows us Himself – our Bibles.

PRAYER: “Lord, make me desperate for You that drives me to You daily.”

QUOTE: “Without a daily seeking of Christ, a feeding upon Christ, a beholding of Christ, the Christian life will be an existence not an experience”.