Abiding in Christ: The Gateway to True Joy
We’ve now reached part three of our series on living
intentionally and finding purpose in God. In previous discussions, we explored
the Greek words peripateo and phroneo. Today,
we’re focusing on another key word: meno, which is deeply connected
to abiding in joy through Christ.
Jesus said in John 15:9-11:
Listen to this article with the audio:
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now
remain in my love."
That word remain is also translated as abide—the Greek word meno. He continues:
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and
that your joy may be complete."
There it is, directly from the words of Jesus. How do we find joy in our daily lives? Jesus tells us: Remain in my love. Abide in me.
What Does It Mean to
Abide?
The Greek word meno means to stay, dwell,
or continue. It is an active and ongoing process. However, it’s not about
striving harder to be with Christ or trying to accomplish more for Him.
Instead, it’s about resting in His love and staying connected to Him in our
daily lives.
Notice that Jesus connects abiding with joy. He doesn’t
say, “Try harder, do more, and you’ll eventually find joy.” Instead, He tells
us that true joy is a natural outcome of abiding—of remaining—of staying close
to Him.
Think about how often we seek joy in fleeting ways—through
accomplishments, comfort activities, or even experiences we believe will bring
lasting joy, like a vacation. But the joy Jesus offers is different. It doesn’t
require striving. You don’t even have to leave your living room to experience
it.
This joy isn’t based on circumstances, location, or
possessions. It’s found in the steady, unshakable relationship we have with
Christ.
Practicing the Act of
Abiding
One of the most powerful ways to abide in Christ is
through praying in the Spirit.
What does that mean? For me, it’s a time when I set aside
my own thoughts, words, and agenda, simply resting in God’s presence. I quiet
my mind and ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for me—to pray for the things I
don’t even know to pray for.
This isn’t about striving to find the right words. In fact,
I’m not speaking or even forming words in my mind. It’s about surrendering and
allowing God’s Spirit to move within me, aligning my heart with His will.
I often lie down or get into a peaceful posture, quiet my
thoughts, and say:
"Holy Spirit, I’m giving You this time. As I rest,
intercede for me. Pray for what I don’t even know to ask for—the challenges
ahead that I can’t yet see."
Then, I simply rest and remain aware that the Holy Spirit
is working within me. In these moments, I feel the Holy Spirit’s comfort like a
warm embrace. And you can experience this, too.
This is meno—remaining in Christ. It’s not
about effort. It’s about quieting and surrendering.
If joy feels distant, perhaps the answer isn’t to do more
but to rest more deeply in Him—to create space for Him to
linger, to simply be with Him, and to trust that He is
interceding for you when you ask Him to.
Abiding is the gateway to true joy because it keeps us
connected to the very source of life, peace, and joy—Jesus Himself.
So today, ask yourself: Am I abiding or striving? Am I making space to rest in Christ's love, or am I caught up in striving and all the turbulence that's naturally present in life? If you are longing for more peace, comfort, and joy, start with abiding. Let go, be still, and trust that as you remain in Him, His joy will remain in you.
At the end of this three-episode series on finding purpose in God and living intentionally with Him toward your purpose, here are a few questions to reflect on.
Oh, and I want to mention again—in the prayer journal, there are note pages where you can do these reflections and write notes. There are plenty of pages for each week, with extra space for any reflections you're doing, goal setting, sermon notes, or Bible studies. It's all in there, as well as the common pages for your prayer requests and praying pages.
Reflection Questions
So here are a few questions to reflect on:
Where am I walking without awareness? Are there routines that I'm stuck in that lack purpose? A few months ago, I surrendered my routine of scrolling news—doom-scrolling. I limited it to 20 minutes a day, and now I'm maybe at 20 minutes three times a week. I don't even feel the compulsion to do it anymore.What routines are we just doing? Some people call it buffering. We're buffering life with these routines in an unhealthy way. We're stuck in routines that don't have meaning or purpose.
What simple gifts in my day am I not recognizing? Am I overlooking them? What can I do daily to practice gratitude for the small joys? The prayer journal has a place for this—every day's prayer page includes sections for thankfulness, confession, requests, ongoing prayers, answered prayers, and a place to write down something good that happened in the day, even if it's something teeny tiny—something you can view as a gift in that day. There's also a section for something good that you accomplished, no matter how small. This practice is proven to help keep our minds and perspectives right. It also helps ward off depression. Taking time to notice the little gifts in each day is psychologically proven to help prevent you from falling into a depressive spiral, especially if you do it when you start feeling the blahs—that depression creeping in. If you know, you know what I'm talking about.
What is my mind set on? Am I focusing on eternal truth, or am I letting my mind get caught up in temporary distractions?
Am I abiding or striving? How can I create space to rest in Christ's love this week?
Tools to Help You Abide
I’ve mentioned a few resources that I have to help you --
The Gospel Life Learning Prayer Journal – It has sections for you to write down and keep track of these practices so that with each quick notation you make in the journal, you are engaging in small. You can find this on Amazon. It's new—it was just published last month. Go to Amazon and search for "Prayer Journal Sherry Elaine" or "Prayer Journal Gospel Life Learning," and it should come up as the very first result. reflections that will lead you to experience more purpose and joy in each day and week.
Upcoming Women’s Connection Cohorts – Another upcoming resource is the online Women's Connection cohorts and course that we will be going through together. Get on my email list at either sherryelaine.com/cohorts or gospellifelearning.com to get first notification when it launches.
Final Thoughts
Living with intention isn't about perfection. It's about alignment—mindfully aligning your steps with focus and keeping your heart on God's purposes. That way, you're not just existing through the day, not just surviving, not just coping, not just going through the motions—but truly living with joy, purpose, and peace.
Thank you for joining me today on the Faith and Soul Care podcast. If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to share it with a friend. Until next time—walk intentionally, savor the simple joys and gifts from God, and abide deeply by praying in the Spirit and abiding in Christ's love.
Get those hugs from the Holy Spirit.
Until next time, Gratefully,
Sherry
More Resources:
If you would like to learn simple, practical ways to walk with God every single day, then you would really enjoy Closer to God: Simple Methods, Starting Today
If you need motivation to eat healthier or lose weight while also growing
closer to God, then you would enjoy Weight Loss for Christians, An
Extraordinarily Simple Way to Conquer Cravings
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If you want to learn more deeply and fully about what Jesus taught, then you would enjoy Words of Jesus - Bible Study on Christ's Teachings
New! Prayer Journal Designed! I love how the journal turned out! It has all I need for prayer tracking and reflections and re-setting my mind with struggles I am facing.
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