Abide

“Abide in me as I abide in you” (Jn. 15.4).

Without a doubt Jesus knew the kind of world He was leaving when He ascended to His Father. He knew His followers would be thoroughly tried. He knew that the same enemy who fought Him throughout His ministry would fight and try to conquer His followers. For Christians in the world today the battle is raging. What can we do? — Perhaps it is simply time to ask if we believe in Jesus. If we do, then we will be encouraged to know that Jesus not only knew the challenges that we face, but has overcome them (Jn. 16.33). So, what can we do? We can “abide.” To abide is an act of will that involves our mind, emotions and actions. To abide is to be conscious of the promise of Jesus and to mentally construct our lives and our days accordingly, and to decide to act on what we believe. Abiding in Jesus begins with a vital prayer life. There are many effective ways to pray, but consider how Ignatius of Loyola advised that we pray at the end of a day, in preparation for new day to come:

One, recall that you are in God’s presence.

Two, return thanks to God for the gifts of the day.

Three, Ask God to reveal the truth as you look at your actions and attitudes with honesty and patience.

Four, review the day, looking especially for the places where you were conscious of God’s presence, as well as the places where His presence was hidden from you.

Five, react and respond to Jesus personally, putting into words your heart’s desire, asking for forgiveness, strength, and hope to confront the mistakes you made, and giving thanks for the ways you experienced God’s loving presence and look forward to the new day with hope.

Try it, and let me know what you find.

Michael Case