Abide in Him - The Crosswalk Devotional - October 18

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Abide in Him
By: Michelle Lazurek

Bible Reading:
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you... Apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:4-5

This past year, I went through a season of nothing but trials and difficult circumstances, which left me overwhelmed as new situations hit me every week. Although I wish I could say that was the only time in my life I felt overwhelmed, it was just one of many. As someone who struggles to live in the present, it was especially difficult not to worry about the future. As I thought about all the difficult things I had to face, a myriad of thoughts ran through my mind:

What if I can't cope with life?

What if an additional bad consequence comes my way?

What if there's a situation that I can't handle?

These roaming thoughts caused a physical reaction in my body. My hands shook when I awoke in the morning. My heart beat fast and often went throughout the day with nausea and headaches. My physical body manifested the inner turmoil I wrestled with in my mind. As I brought these circumstances to the Lord and poured out my feelings to him, I felt God speak to my soul. Then saw a picture in my mind of Jesus walking ahead of me. Jesus spoke two words to me and then began walking:

Follow me. 

In that moment, I let go of all the things in the future that worried me. Instead, I focused on my current circumstances. I didn't think about tomorrow or what else might come my way. Instead, I allowed Jesus to order my steps. I felt that if I followed Jesus and took it day by day, I could get through every situation that plagued my mind.

These same two words he told me are the same two words he gave his disciples. In that moment, his disciples had a choice: continue living in their old life of comfort and predictability or drop their nets and follow him into a life of complete unknown. The disciples dropped their nets at once and followed Jesus. Because of their faith, God used them to do extraordinary things for the Kingdom.

Additionally, I tried to think about heavenly things. Rather than earthly things. I thought about what heaven would be like and envisioned Jesus on his throne alongside his father. When I dwelled on those thoughts rather than my problems, my body stopped shaking, my heart stopped beating fast, and the nausea subsided. 

This is a great practice for any of us who struggle with anxiety or feeling overwhelmed. Ask Jesus what he wants you to do for that day and that day only. Don't worry about tomorrow, next week, or next month. Don’t worry about the things you cannot control today. As I practiced abiding in Christ and letting Him order my steps, life felt less overwhelming. I was able to tackle many situations, and my emotional state of anxiety was quickly replaced with peace.

Do you wish you could live a life in a constant state of abiding in Christ? Do you wish you could live a life with more freedom and less anxiety and fear about the future? Abiding in Christ lets us do that. When we choose to give our every waking moment to him, we can achieve the freedom from fear we desire because that’s what God wants for us. Believe it or not, when we live in fear, that is not God’s will for us. 

What do you need to do to abide in Christ today? If Jesus appeared to you today, what would you have to let go of to follow him? What stops you from doing that right now, even if God did not ask you to let it go today? 

Abide in Jesus. Let him order your daily steps. He will never lead you astray.

Lord, help us to walk in step with you. Remind us that you already know the end of the story. By choosing to live in the present and letting you order our steps, we no longer need to worry about the future. We can accomplish the tasks you have for us simply because we are abiding in you. Amen.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Do you live in a state of fear of the future? How would forgetting your fear and following Christ change that? 

Further Reading:
Philippians 3:13

How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages AaronAmat 

Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife, and mother. She is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and host of The Spritual Reset Podcast. Her new children’s book Hall of Faith encourages kids to understand God can be trusted. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting 80s memorabilia, and spending time with her family and her crazy dog. For more info, please visit her website www.michellelazurek.com.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com! 

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