Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

—John 15:4-5

Life has been heavy recently. The stress of elections. The challenges of living in a strained economy. The devastation of storms and flooding. It all weighs heavy.

Yesterday at church, we studied the beginning of John 15, where Jesus uses the illustration of the vine and the branches. He’s speaking directly to His followers, explaining the kind of life we should pursue as Christians, but He doesn’t do this with a list of do’s and don’ts. He’s not concerned with rules and rituals. What He cares about is the relationship of the branches to the vine.

It’s a simple illustration. Jesus is the vine—the source of life, growth, and sustenance—and we are the branches. If we have placed our faith in Jesus, there will be fruit because we are truly connected to our source of life. A genuine connection and relationship is necessary.

But what does that look like? What does a real relationship with a God that we cannot physically see, hear, or touch look like?

The answer in this passage is abiding, and its simplicity is an absolute gift in times that weigh heavy, like October 2024.

Abide isn’t a word we use much anymore. Its meaning has changed over time. Now it means something close to tolerating something or choosing to follow the rules, but if we look at what it used to mean—and what it means here—there’s something much richer and more beautiful about that simple word. 

The older meaning of the word abide, which is a much closer match to the original Greek than today’s connotations—is to make a specific place your home. When Jesus decides to explain to His followers how to live the Christian life, the way He tells them to go about it is to choose to make Him their home.

I love this illustration. It’s both simple and comforting, but it also carries with it some parallels that can give us real insight into how to live a life pleasing to God.

1. Homes require investment. This investment may be an investment of resources, but it also requires an investment of time to maintain it, and our relationships—including our relationship with Christ—are the same. We have to be willing to invest time and energy or our home will fall into disrepair.
   
   This doesn’t mean that if we haven’t been doing a good job of reading our Bible this month we’re no longer saved, but when we aren’t investing our time in our relationship with Jesus, it might mean that we can’t feel His presence. We also might not be as sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, which can cause stress and hurt and make heavy times harder to walk through.
   
2. Homes are a place of safety and security. No matter how far away we go, we’re always driven to return home. It’s the place where we can lock the door and be secure from threats. It’s the place where we don’t have to be on guard against attacks. We can just be, and that can be so freeing, especially for those of us who feel the need to always be on guard.
   
   It’s no coincidence that Scripture describes God as our defender, strong tower, and shield. He is a place where we can go to be safe from Satan’s attacks and our fears. He is perfect Love and He desires to be the shelter we need when life is heavy.
   
3. Homes are where you go to rest. I think this is the most beautiful parallel to me. Today’s passage comes just before Jesus predicts His death and warns His disciples that they’ll be persecuted and cast out of the synagogue for their beliefs. Heavy times were coming, but Jesus didn’t say they needed to spend more time in prayer or studying Scripture. He told them to come rest in Him.
   
   There are few things as comforting as being able to come home and rest after a difficult day. Locking out the outside world and laying down the burden of the day is healing. And in His infinite goodness, Jesus says that’s what we should do. Come to Him, our home and safe place, block out all the trials of the world, lay down our burdens, and rest.

As a country, we’re in the middle of some difficult seasons. There’s way more conflict than any of us need, and our brothers and sisters in the Southeast are hurting in the wake of Helene and Milton. But God is still so good. He knows our needs, and when He gives us commands or instructions, it’s always with the goal of meeting those needs. So it’s my prayer today that no matter your situation, you’ll find the Home that can never be threatened or taken away in Jesus.