Have you ever thought you have been scatter brained, so distracted that you could not focus on your priorities? I’ve been there plenty of times and still have days when I lament a prayer, “Lord, help me with my thinking!” I worry that I’m not strongly grafted to the Vine, or rooted in Scripture. This study impresses me that I need to slow down my mindset, to be more resolved, to focus on what really matters. I’ve always wanted others to think of me as a good person, but with so much polarization and worldly thinking around us, am I really talking and walking for what matters?
“Jesus also warns people about living rootless lives. He says, “Remain in me as I remain in you. I love you with the same love that the Father loves me.” He is speaking about the inner connectedness of life. Life-giving connectedness is what allows Jesus to move out of the places of death toward life. The experience of joy that Jesus offers is not happiness. It is not just feeling “up.” Joy is something else. The joy of Jesus is never disconnected from sorrow.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus by Henri J. M. Nouwen
“ James Montgomery Boice writes, “When our Lord says, 'Abide in Me,' He is talking about the will, about the choices, the decisions we make. We must decide to do things which expose ourselves to Him and keep ourselves in contact with Him. This is what it means to abide in Him.”
The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine: It is impossible for the branch to bear grapes if it isn’t connected to the vine. The disciple can’t do true good for God and His kingdom without consciously connecting with and abiding in Jesus.” - Based on The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik.
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