Stay with Me
This post was originally published on December 3, 2018. I’ve been thinking about and discussing this concept quite a bit recently and thought this post was a great way to start out a new year. Instead of conjuring up New Years resolutions where one strives to “do better,” let us simply focus on being with Him. We cannot conquer sin. Only Christ has the power to overcome. May this be a year where our mindset changes from striving to abiding in Him and believing that we truly are new creations created in Christ. That is when victory occurs; when we are in Him.
“Stay with me.” It’s likely you’ve said those words or heard those words spoken to you. Those three simple words are filled with meaning. Picture it in your mind.
Who is saying those words to whom? There are two people, one reaching out to the other. The reasons for this simple request can vary, but they are all based on the deep desire to linger together, to remain in one another’s company. Although it looks like a command, those three words are most often offered up as a request; appealing to the other to not leave.
Do you realize Jesus asks this of you? He reaches out to you, desiring your presence. We typically ask someone to stay with us because we don’t want to be alone. Christ doesn’t need the comfort of our company. Our request is often based on selfish reasons. Jesus asks us to stay for our benefit and because He simply wants to be with us.
Picture in your mind Jesus reaching out to you and saying these simple three words. “Stay with me.”
Was that easy or difficult to see in your mind’s eye? Do you think He’d say that to you? He does. Some of us may be more familiar with the Biblical term “abide”. I refer to it as a Biblical term because it’s not used in today’s everyday conversations. What does abide really mean? It’s the idea of staying, remaining, tarrying, not leaving, continuing to be present, to maintain unbroken fellowship. It can mean to persevere, cleave, or hold fast. It means to be held or kept, continually.1
Jesus promises to remain in us. He holds us, continually. He asks us to remain in Him. (See reference to John 15 below.) If Jesus asks us to stay with Him, it doesn’t mean that we’re motionless. Parents tell their child to stay with them as they make their way through a crowd. I love how the ESV states I John 2:6:
Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
When we stay with Him, we keep pace with Him. We start to imitate Him. We walk like Him. We talk like Him. We see His character overflow in all areas of our lives.
This all reminds me of when my youngest was 3 years old. He was fascinated that when skin was cut, blood comes out. He didn’t like it if it actually happened, but was intrigued by the concept. I explained to him that every living part of our bodies has blood flowing through them. To illustrate this, I took a flashlight and we went into the dark closet. I held my hand over the light and my hand glowed red as the light illuminated the blood capillaries. It highlighted the fact that blood was flowing through the entirety of my hand.
That’s what Christ desires with us; complete, saturated existence in Him. Nothing held back. We can’t fully appreciate life until we have His life-giving Spirit flowing through every part of our lives. Oh, to be in Him and for Him to be in us! Amazing things happen when we are together!
These are great things to think about, but what does this look like in everyday life? After all, Jesus isn’t here in flesh and blood to visit with face-to-face. Let’s take a step beyond the classic Sunday school answer of “pray!” and “read the Bible!”. I would suggest it’s more of an attitude. It certainly may include prayer and reading God’s Word, but it stretches beyond. It’s the attitude of having Christ with you, beside you, helping you, all the time. It could be sharing thoughts with Him as the day goes on. Perhaps you may dwell on a section of scripture throughout the day. It’s being mindful or aware of His presence.
Here are some passages of scripture to reflect on this week. Many times I like to read a shorter section of scripture and then “soak in it” for the day, focusing on one idea.
– John 15:4-17
– Luke 24:13-35 (Amazing things happen when we desire to stay with Him! v29)
– I John 2:3-11
– I John 3:19-24
– I John 4:7-18
I’d really like to hear from you! Can you share a thought about:
– How do you abide/stay/remain?
– What was it like to turn over an area of your life to Christ?
– Something that impacted you in these (or other) scripture verses.
1 3306 Strong’s Concordance/Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
turning over an area of my life can only happen if each time I feel worry, concern, fretfulness about that area, I immediately pray about it. Depending on the concern, I mite be praying multiple times a day or an hour but to continue through out turning it over to God. Frankly, I think I know what to do but it is much harder to really leave it all in God’s hand. For me it takes repetitive behavior and complete trust in God’s provision for all I need.
I’m so glad you shared, Larkellen! You brought up some excellent aspects that are helpful to recognize. One is the repetitive nature of staying or abiding. Another key aspect is identifying when something needs to be intentionally handed over to God. You mentioned three feelings (worry, concern, fretfulness) that inform you that you need to abide with God in that area. This is such a useful tool! I hope others see this and can identify their own indicator feelings. Thank you!
Boy can i relate stay with me. It is still ingrained in my mind even though It Has been over 23 years the night my husband unexpectedly died from sudden cardiac death. I begged him don’t leave me. But it was not to be. Over these year that i have grown & become closer to God (which didnt happen overnite) I find I cling to him tighter with each passing year or each passing trial. I never thought of him saying stay with me. More me saying dont leave me. I enjoyed all the scripture & feel still that i fail God. I desire & try to keep a close relationship with Him. As I do consider Him to be my refuge & my rock. He is faithful at all times but in my minds eye seeing him patiently waiting on me when i get distracted. Im working hard in not allowing distractions to get in my way . Hope this all makes sense.
Dear Susan, your words are precious. Thank you for sharing what was no doubt the most difficult moment in your life. I was intrigued by your use of enjoyment and failure in the same sentence. The word “fail” has stuck in my mind all morning. It’s a word that carries deep discouragement and a sense of finality. The other day my son was dejected about something he had “failed” at and it totally shut him down. We can be very hard on ourselves, so harsh that we shut down. I’m sure this makes Satan excessively giddy. Here’s another perspective to try out. Life is a process of maturing and learning. Instead of looking at an experience as a failure, we can view it as a learning experience. What would I do differently next time? What did I learn that I can use as I move forward? I am so encouraged by your story. You have kept going, holding on tight, and drawing closer to Him over the past 23 years.
Thsnk you for giving me another way of looking at things. The last thing I want is to give Satan any foothold! As Paul I think it was said is that Satan is always prowling around like a lion just waiting! So I will stay strong in the Lord and continuing to mature in his love, understanding & mercy as i praise his holy name continually
That Satan is a sneaky one, for sure! Yes, that verse says he is looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He wants us gone… destroyed. Susan, you keep relying on God’s strength, amazing lady! You are an encouragement to everyone around you!
I’ve enjoyed this devotional…thank you! It caused me to think how sometimes I ask God to “wait, I’ll be right with you”… but then get busy with ‘life” and leave Him sitting there waiting. I need to “stay with Him” …life is so much better when I do!
So true and very relatable! I’m so glad you brought that up. We are easily distracted. Thank God for His faithfulness!