“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
Jesus tells His disciples to abide—to make their home in Him. I have always thought, in some ways, that this was a little strange. But as I have grown and begun to understand more about life, it has started to make sense.
I used to believe that home was simply a place. But home is more than a place; it is a feeling of belonging.
Since Abbie and I have been married, we have lived in four different places. Not all of them have felt like home. In fact, only one really has. The others were places we stayed for a while—places we worked and tried to make comfortable. We tried to make them feel homey, but deep down we knew the truth: they weren’t really home.
At first, it was an apartment for a year, something temporary until we figured out what was next. Then it was a house we rented for a few months, a place that never quite fit what we needed. Those places weren’t bad, but they always felt like somewhere we were passing through.
Now, however, we have a home—a place where we live, work, and grow. It is a place where we can build a life, grow a family, and invite others in to enjoy it with us.
A house is not always a home, but a home is always a place filled with love and support.
Sometimes a home isn’t even a place at all. Sometimes a home is a person. It’s a hug from your mom after a long day, a kiss from your spouse, or the sounds of life happening all around you.
Jesus isn’t a physical place, and yet He is home. He is a refuge in the middle of chaos, a source of comfort in times of sorrow, and the strength to get up and try again.
Jesus invites us to experience a true home—to live in Him. Because without Him, this world will teach us an important truth: this world is not our home. We are passing through. But when we choose to abide in Jesus, we get a glimpse of heaven even while we are here.