I’m an author, a public speaker, and the president of Blackaby Ministries International. I love my job and thoroughly enjoy my colleagues. Nevertheless, anyone who travels for work knows how many glitches, delays, and unexpected issues can occur. These inconveniences used to bother me much more when I was younger and less experienced. My family could always tell when I had returned from an exhausting and demanding trip, because when I came home, I would talk loudly and sigh frequently. After spending hours on noisy airplanes and in crowded auditoriums, my speaking voice had been raised to a decibel that could be heard up and down our street. The constant flight delays, long customer service hold times, and crowded restaurants inevitably exhausted me. Let’s just say, I wasn’t exactly the life of the party when I walked through my front door.
The Lord convicted me of how I was handling the stressful aspects of my job. I could be calm and tranquil when flights were on time and everything went smoothly. But too many things can and do go wrong. I was experiencing too much stress. Worst of all, I was bringing it home with me.
The Lord led me to meditate on John 15:1-11. There is enough rich material in those verses to fill up a thousand-page book.
In verse 5, Jesus states, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” God showed me that my job is to abide closely in Christ, and he will produce the fruit. Most people are unfamiliar with abiding. We understand working. We know how to make things happen. My problem was that I knew how to get results, but I didn’t know how to produce fruit.
Fruit comes from remaining and resting in Christ. I like the translation to “remain,” because I have a tendency to depart! In the past, if my time with Christ went on too long, I would worry that I would not have enough time to complete my work. My problem was that I got things done, but I didn’t see a lot of fruit. The amazing thing was that when I learned to enjoy being in God’s presence, spending what my father called “unhurried time” with Christ, all kinds of “God things” happened that I could never have accomplished on my own. It seems counterintuitive, but when I rest in God and abide in his peace, stuff happens. Good stuff.
Jesus said that apart from him, I could do nothing. It took me a long time to believe that. I had a high view of what my hard work could accomplish. But as I learned to abide, I began to witness God accomplishing his work through me, and it dwarfed what I could do on my own. I did less, and God did more!
Jesus also said, As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love” (John 15:9).I had never been taught to abide in Christ’s love. His love is a vast sea. I cannot fathom its depth or expanse. Jesus invited me to remain in it. To soak in it.
I have witnessed many Christian leaders who have completely unraveled. Often, they behave like someone who has not been basking in the love of God. They are insecure, angry, entitled, or lustful. All of these issues could be resolved in the oasis of God’s love. God’s love has a way of meeting every need, healing every wound, and restoring whatever is broken. I also have found that I am much more loving and patient with others when I have been soaking in God’s love.
Finally, Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). When you abide in Christ, you are filled to overflowing with his joy. According to these verses, it’s easy to tell if you have been abiding in Christ. Your life will produce much fruit, and you will be filled with Christ’s joy. As I have grown older, that has been my prayer.
Last week, my abiding was put to the test. I traveled to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport to speak to a great group of marketplace leaders. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I spoke to around 100 people about leadership coaching. Thursday morning, I was scheduled to address the entire organization, more than 200 people. I was told to arrive at the sound booth at 8:40 a.m. and to be ready to begin my plenary presentation promptly at 8:50. I arrived by 8:30. I could see the meeting space had been enlarged to accommodate the additional people. A woman presenter was on stage when I arrived. I slipped in at the back. A man sitting by the door jumped up and warmly greeted me. He showed me an available seat. I asked him when the break would be, knowing that in five minutes I was supposed to get my microphone. He told me the break was not until 9:30. That was when I first realized there was a problem. This was not my group!
I hurriedly exited that room, unsure what to do. I was supposed to take the stage in ten minutes, and I had no idea where the stage was. I frantically looked through the notes on my smartphone and found a phone number of a contact person. When she answered my call, she seemed concerned and asked where I was. I responded, “Where should I be?” She apologized and told me they had moved to a larger room and that she would come get me.
By the time I arrived at the correct meeting room, the group was singing a set of three worship songs before I was supposed to be introduced. During the first song, I glanced around the room. It was full of amazing leaders who had gathered for training and inspiration. With my microphone in place, I asked the sound technician if he had a clicker I could use to advance my own PowerPoint slides. “PowerPoint?” he asked. “What PowerPoint?” My staff was supposed to send them my presentation. Apparently, there was a mix up. Now we were on song #2.
At this point, the Holy Spirit must have been chuckling. I can be quite godly and spiritual when everything is going according to plan. But I was about to make a major presentation to an important audience, and it seemed as if everything was going wrong. This was the moment I needed to continue to abide in Christ! He was not caught by surprise. His plans had not been foiled. I needed to walk in the Spirit during those crucial moments.
I asked the technician if I could quickly e-mail him my slides, and he said he would do what he could. I pulled my laptop out and found my presentation. Now we were on worship song #3. In a few more moments, I would be welcomed to the stage. I realized I didn’t have the wi-fi code for that part of the hotel. Then I needed the sound technician’s e-mail address. He took my laptop and entered his e-mail, incorrectly. He tried a second time. Valuable seconds were passing by. All the while, I was surrendering the moment and my circumstances to God.
Finally, I was being welcomed to the stage to make my seventy-minute presentation to a room full of dynamic business leaders. As I glanced back at the sound technician, he gave me the thumbs up that they now had my PowerPoint. Everything was ready. I realized that, had I allowed myself to become stressed and anxious, I would be in no condition to minister to those people. Ironically, my talk that day was on abiding in Christ! God was graciously allowing me to practice what I was about to preach.
I needed to be reminded that God is fully in control of my circumstances. When I fret and grow anxious, I reveal that I do not trust God to handle my problems or to guide me through my confusing circumstances. When my talk was finished, I was caught by surprise by the audience’s enthusiastic response. People lined up to talk with me. I left that meeting feeling like God had used me to bless and encourage a group of amazing leaders. It felt good.
Life today is filled with surprises, disappointments, and unexpected twists in the road. If you are prone to becoming anxious, frustrated, or angry, you will be extremely vulnerable. Learn to walk in the Spirit and to abide in Christ. Too many Christians today are behaving just like unbelievers. God has far more for us than that if we will only slow down, lean in, and abide.
