“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me.” -John 15:4
Have you ever been so engrossed in something that you can zone out everything around you? It could be a good book, your job, a hobby. Something where the hours just pass by because you’re so deeply involved in what’s going on in front of you. You’re invested in what you’re doing, you’ve become intertwined in it.
What about plants or trees? We had to dig up a tree at our home once. We cut down all the branches down to the stump and then had to begin dig and dig to get down to the roots to be able to pull the stump out. Once the stump was loose enough my husband hooked a tow strap to it and the tractor. With lots of pushing and pulling we were finally able to pull the entire stump out roots and all but left behind a big hole in the ground. How about the flowers we plant? In order to have good blooms the roots need to be planted deep in the ground.
One way we can abide in Jesus is to become deeply rooted in His love. Like we get engrossed in books and hobbies we should long to be connected to God, enough that when the world is crazy around us we don’t see it because we are focused on Jesus. The Bible tells us that when we abide in Jesus, we can become deeply rooted in Him and like those big trees or beautiful flowers we will grow, and God’s love will show through us.