Imagine you have an employee who always pulls his old car into the parking lot at least a half hour late, never completes any task on time because of his ancient coffee-stained laptop, and is always depressed. You might choose to fire him outright (and who could blame you?), but perhaps you ask some questions first. Questions such as...
“My guy, your old car makes you late everyday. Any thoughts on buying a new one?”
“Homie, that computer. It’s a fossil. The keys stick. It’s all turtle and no rabbit. Can you afford a Macbook or something?”
“Dude my dude, life can’t be horrible all the time. Plus I pay you really, really well; how can you be sad and tired constantly?”
Wouldn’t it be ridiculous if this awful employee said that he had a brand new Mercedes… it was just a few miles away parked in the driveway of his lakehouse? Or if he said that he did indeed have a brand-new computer, also at his lakehouse? And wouldn’t it be perplexing, almost infuriating, if he said he was so tired and depressed because the apartment he had been staying in was old, noisy, rundown, and sad?
Of course this is unrealistic… or is it? If this was happening in real life, certainly the solution would be to live in the lakehouse! It’s close. It’s paid for. It has the tools that are needed and an environment of rest and peace. No one would choose to abide anywhere but there if they had the option, right?
Wrong, I’m afraid. At least spiritually speaking. Christians have the option to abide in Christ. There, in that spiritual lakehouse, is rest, wisdom, love, all the fruit of the spirit, confidence, and a peace to see us through the trials of life. Amazingly, many of us choose to stay in the stresses, mindsets, destructive drives, band-aid solutions, and anesthetic habits we’re used to rather than move into our new estate…although it has been totally paid for.
Justin Dumois got me thinking along these lines two weeks ago, and I have been abiding more intentionally ever since. It has been refreshing, and so I heartily suggest you do the same. Take some time to sit with the Lord. Don’t bring an agenda other than to be with Him. It might be challenging or weird at first, but if you can make it a habit, you will be richly rewarded. If you don’t…not so much. After all, he did say “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)