abiding in Christ

I am reading Andrew Murray’s Abiding In Christ, a devotional book based on Jesus words in John 15:1-7.

Remain in me, and I will 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 a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [John 15:4-5]

He begins by reminding us that the promise of blessing and rest in Matthew 11:28-30 is not just for those who COME to Him, but those who CONTINUE in Him.
Moment by moment, day by day, an ongoing, continuous surrender and fellowship with Him.
This is what the disciples had when they were physically following Jesus.
This is what we need to have as we follow Him today, though His presence is spiritual, not physical – it is nevertheless real.
I am with Jesus, Jesus is with me – whether I feel it or not.

The challenge is to make this a practical, real part of my day to day living.
Here at work, at my desk, or in the car, or at the store, or in the classroom, or with my family or friends…
This is not easy, but it is necessary.
Apparently I can do nothing apart from Him.
Sure, I can do lots of things, I do every day.
But I can do nothing with lasting or eternal effect, nothing that really matters for God or for good.
So if I want to be effective (or fruitful), I need to constantly be in His presence.

How do I do this?

• Every time I think of it, I express gratitude for the Lord’s presence (whether I feel it or not)
• Every new activity I undertake today, I will begin it with a focusing time of prayer
• If I forget for a time, I will not beat myself up – just admit it, and get back o track
• I have some “memory stones”, or objects that direct my attention back to the Lord
• I try to talk through out loud what I am working on, consciously bringing Him into the process
• I use phrases like (‘I am with You’ or ‘You are here’) to bring myself back into an awareness of His presence
• I consciously give over every completed action or project to Him, trusting Him for the results
• I breathe deep, smile, and say to myself – ‘RELAX, the Lord is here!’