Abide: to remain, continue, stay, dwell, reside. When we abide with someone, we are more than aware of them. We fellowship with them. Settle down in overstuffed chairs sharing thoughts and feelings, finding comfort with each other. Jesus desires this intimacy with us. (John 15:4-5, John 15:9) The Message says “remaining intimately at home in”. Did that sink in? Jesus, the Creator, Lord of Heaven and Earth, desires an intimate, abiding relationship with you. He wants to make His home in you, and yours in Him. Our hearts shout, “yes”. Our flesh says, “Wait, what? Exactly how does that work?” 

Let’s establish two things before we tackle abiding. First, when we aren’t aware God is with us, He is. He has promised to be with us always and forever. He will never leave us. Period. If we are not cognizant of Him, He has not moved; our focus has shifted. 

Second, let’s acknowledge why our abiding in Christ is hard. We face an enemy. Satan. When we declared allegiance to Jesus, he roared with fury. We’ve been on his list to “kill, steal, and destroy” since. (John 10:10) He plots to kill our joy, steal our devotion, and destroy anything God has built in our life. He will execute any and every diversion to steer our passion, thoughts and actions away from our Beloved and onto “other”.

Since Satan schemes with intention, maneuvering to keep our focus off of our Lord, we need, with equal intention, to strategize to keep Jesus in the limelight.

Again, our souls shout “yes”, but our flesh whimpers in the corner because our lives are filled to the brink; overflowing with work, responsibility, relationships, screens, endless lists; some of which aid the very schemes of our enemy. In a heartbeat, we lose our resolve to focus on Him.

So, how do we abide?  To borrow a catch phrase for our generation, how do we “practice the Presence”?

Keeping our focus on Jesus through the day is a discipline. 

This will mean arranging our daily life so that there is never a day when we give ourselves a chance to forget Him. 

There is a great tug-of-war between abiding in Jesus and what the flesh wants, what the world tells us we need, and the temptations Satan throws at us. Living in this tension can be exhausting. We need strategic, effective measures to face down our enemies. 

Let’s talk in practical terms, shall we? Here are some weapons for our arsenal to choose from daily, keeping our armaments clean, sharp and lubricated:

• Adequate nutrition, exercise and rest so our physical bodies do not defy our spiritual intentions. (For example, we gain little spiritual ground in the Word if we face-plant on the page within five minutes due to bad fuel and lack of sleep.)
• Write “Jesus” at the top of the daily to-do list.
• Scriptures and inspirational quotes scattered along the paths we walk, grabbing our attention. 
• Our Bible open on the table beckoning us to soak in His Words.
• A Biblical meditation, sliding into our inbox, redirecting thoughts and feelings to Him and His purposes. (suggestions: Ann Voscamp, IF:Gathering, Girlfriends in God, Treasures in the Hard…smile)
• A ‘remember ding’ from our prayer list we’ve put on Google calendar, reestablishing who is our prayer focus for the day.
• Our car and kitchen radios dialed to Christian music, centering scattered thoughts into focused moments of worship.
• Spirit-rich books on kindles and table tops to delve into during unexpected moments of quiet or waiting.
• Adding to a physical list of thanks as we reflect on our day.
• A set-in-stone appointment to be alone with Jesus. Every. Day.

And when life heats up, and all efforts drip to the ground like hot wax: just keep that conversation going with the One who adores you. Talk to Him. All through the mess. All day long. And in the darkness of night when your thoughts whirl, tell Him every detail. 

“In the midst of everything calling for my attention –
the point is to never stop leaning into Who is calling me.
Every Christ-follower is in the same business —
to kill busy-ness and make it your business to talk endlessly with God.”
-Ann Voscamp

As we execute habits in our day that hold us close to His presence, our spiritual strength grows. Our confidence grows. Our knowledge and understanding grow. When we face that tension between flesh and spirit, well-exercised muscles twitch with desire to engage and win the battle. A spiritual unction flows through our days. And we settle into a comfortable abiding with Jesus.

Even as we arrange our lives and environments to focus in on Him, let us not forget, it is nothing but God’s grace and mercy that allow us to abide in Him and He in us. We can perform all manner of disciplines and it would mean nothing if not for His grace. These are not works that bid Him to come to us and love us. That free and generous gift He offers unbidden. These are simple disciplines that help keep our eyes on Him.

What are some of your strategies for keeping your focus on Jesus through the day? How do you practice abiding in Him? Share one of your favorites in the comments below, remembering this is not about polishing our halos and strutting our “good works”; but rather, a sharing of battle-worn game plans and tactics between soldiers, determined to follow our Leader into the deepest hards, spiritually in-shape, weapons ready for action from abiding in His presence each day.