While I'm primarily a summer girl, one thing I love about fall is the beauty of nature. As the leaves on trees fade into burnt oranges and festive yellows, I'm reminded of a lifelong principle: These trees are beautiful because they embrace change. They remain where they are. They don't try to fight it. And they stay planted in the soil—through thick and thin—spring blooms, winter's barrenness, and fall's deconstruction.
My question for you is similar: In seasons of joy and sorrow, rainbows and storm clouds, summer and winter, do you abide? And not just do you accept, but how and in whom do you abide?
In John 15, Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while he prunes every branch that does bear fruit so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples" (John 15:1-8, NIV).
It's a lengthy passage, but I believe we learn three things about abiding in Christ in it: Listening to pause, hear, and respond.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Jakob Owens
1. Listen to Pause
If we want to abide in Christ, we have to begin by understanding what it means to abide. GotQuestions defines abide this way: "To 'abide' is to live, continue, or remain; so, to abide in Christ is to live in Him or remain in Him." However, the interesting thing about abiding is that it assumes we're listening. We can only remain in Christ if we have an intimate, close, and personal relationship with Him. Abiding requires communication both ways. Jesus is not (or shouldn't be) just a superficial acquaintance we talk to when we want something.
Picture your best friend or spouse. If you only ever asked them for things or talked about yourself, do you think they'd feel loved? Probably not. The relationship would also likely fail to exist. Solid relationships are built on listening and receiving. The same applies to our relationship with Christ. While God is a good God who provides and continually gives us what we need, He also wants us to praise and thank Him—not because He needs our thanksgiving, but because He deserves it.
If we want to learn to faithfully abide in Christ, we must listen to pause. And why do we pause? We pause so we can rest in Him alone—not the temptations the world throws at us, not shallow answers to deep questions, not even God's substitutions. No, John 15 reminds us that pruning happens—but that can only happen if we pause to listen, to understand why He's pruning us and how that will make us better.
Pruning is a painful process, but it's a natural result of listening to pause. Just as a spouse can make us better when we're open to honest communication, our relationship with Jesus can do the same thing. I'm no farmer and not an expert with plants, but pruning is easier when the plant stands still. Christ is waiting for us to come before Him—to pause, to listen, to receive.
Photo credit: Photo Credit: ©iStofk/Getty Images Plus/Drazen Zigic
2. Listen to Hear
Once we've learned to listen to pause, we need to remember to listen to hear. Many of us love to talk to be heard, not listen to others. This especially applies in our relationship with Christ. I'm just as guilty as the next person, but I love to talk. And I genuinely love to talk and talk and talk. But the best advice comes when I take time to hear.
In our human relationships and our relationship with our Creator, abiding comes from listening to hear. One-sided conversations aren't fun for anyone, and while the Lord will never leave us, He desires more for us. We can produce even more fruit when we allow Him to prune us and guide us through His Word.
Listening to hear isn't easy. It's much easier to listen and respond. We want to have all the answers and get things off our chest. But abiding in Christ requires union—like a branch to a tree—it will die if it isn't connected to the life-source. It's possible to live life apart from Christ, but it's certainly not a life worth living—it'll be dead and empty inside. And Christ has so much more in store for us when guided by how He wants us to live.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Kelly Sikkema
3. Listen to Respond
As we learn to abide, listening to pause and hear will become easier over time. In turn, we will be trained to listen and respond. Scripture tells us that we must not just be hearers but doers of the Word. When we abide, God speaks to us. But it's up to us to listen and respond.
Just as a spouse can choose to take their partner's concerns to heart and change, we, too, have the opportunity to hear what God speaks to us and respond appropriately. John 15 explains this in verses 9-17:
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other" (John 15:9-17, NIV).
A Call to Abide
God wants us to abide in and listen to His guidance because He knows what's best for us. He also does this out of His great and sacrificial love for His children. Abiding requires us to remain in His love, commands, and joy. As a result, our happiness will be complete—overflowing and like that of Christ Himself. Then, through that love, we can teach others to abide, and even more fruit will be brought forth.
If you struggle to abide in Christ, I want you to know you're not alone. I also want you to know that it's okay. Abiding isn't easy and takes a lot of diligence—time, patience, and practice. But over time, and through Christ, we can learn to listen, pause, hear, and respond.
Try taking 5 minutes at the beginning and end of your day this week to abide. Start with open hands and ask the Lord to help you pause. As you take a few deep breaths, ask Him to speak to you. Then, respond. You can journal during this time, sit with your eyes closed, or find a posture that works best for you. No matter what, remember your purpose: To grow closer to the Lord as you learn to abide fully in Him.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Smileus
Originally published Monday, 13 October 2025.
