Abide: Resting Where Life Flows

Learning to Stop Striving and Remain Rooted in Christ

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”- John 15:4-5 (ESV)

There is a holy invitation woven into the words of Jesus: Abide.

Not achieve. Not prove. Not hustle harder or try again with more resolve.

Simply remain.

To abide is to stay connected, to dwell, to make our home in Christ. Jesus reminds us that fruitfulness is not the result of relentless effort, but of intimacy and connection. A branch does not strain to produce fruit, it rests in the vine and allows life to flow.

So much of our striving comes from forgetting where our source truly is. When we disconnect from the Vine, even good intentions can turn into exhaustion. We attempt to carry what was never meant to be carried alone.

Abiding invites us back to rest. Not passive rest, but anchored rest. The kind of rest that comes from knowing we are held, nourished, and sustained by Christ Himself.

This is where true flourishing begins.

As we remain in Him, He shapes our pace. He prunes what no longer serves life. He produces fruit in His timing, not ours. Abiding shifts our posture from doing for God to being with God.

As you step into this new year, perhaps the invitation isn’t to start over, but to settle deeper in. To release striving and choose presence. To trust that as you abide, fruit will come, and it will last.

Take a moment to pause and reflect:

• Where might God be inviting you to rest (abide) - rather than try harder - in this season?

• What would it look like to begin this year from a place of abiding instead of striving?

• What small, grace-filled practice could help you remain connected to Christ this week?

Before moving on, take a moment to pause, breathe, and reflect with God on what is stirring in your heart.

May you find rest as you remain in Him, and trust that as you abide, fruit will come.

This Devotional Reflection is written by Jen Stone-Sexton - Author, Speaker, Teacher, Certified Christian Life Coach, Certified 7 Types of Rest® Facilitator + Wellbeing Consultant, and Founder of Freedom to Flourish Life Coaching.

Jennifer C. Stone-Sexton © 2026

All graphics created by Jen Stone-Sexton © 2026

All Rights Reserved.

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Credits:

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.