The first three days of this series were an invitation. Jesus said come, and he said follow. This week asks the next question: what does it look like to stay once you’ve said yes?
I know the Bible tells us not to judge, and I know we do it anyway, especially with other Christians. Does she pray enough? Do they volunteer enough? Do we tithe enough? It’s easy to look at someone else and decide they’re closer to Jesus than I am.
Then there’s the question of what it looks like to follow him every minute of every day. What does it look like when you forgot to pray last night, or this morning? When you haven’t been to church in a couple of weeks, or haven’t opened your Bible? We build a list of ways we think we have to measure up, and the list never ends.
This week I’m looking at what it means to stay close to him. I’m going to put the comparisons away and take one command at a time.
Here’s the thought to carry me through the week: staying close is built from small, repeated choices.
Remain in Him
Day 4 is the root of the week. In John 15, Jesus says a branch cannot bear fruit on its own. It has to stay connected to the vine, and so do we.
Notice what he asks of the branch. He doesn’t ask it to strive or to prove anything. He asks it to remain. Everything else this week is a way of doing that.
Talk With Him
Four of this week’s commands are about prayer, and each one adds something different.
On Day 5, Jesus tells us to pray privately rather than for an audience. A closed door takes away the comparison, because no one is there to measure it.
On Day 6, he gives us a pattern to pray. On the days when I have no words, I can borrow his.
On Day 7, he tells us to ask, seek, and knock. It’s an invitation to keep coming back, and he promises the Father gives good gifts to those who ask.
On Day 8, he says to watch and pray. Prayer is also how we stay alert, not only how we ask for things.
Choose Him Over the Noise
The biggest competitor for closeness, at least in my house, is busyness.
Day 9 is Mary and Martha. Martha is busy with everything that needs doing, and Jesus tells her one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen it.
Day 10 pairs well with it. Seek first his kingdom, and the rest falls in behind it. What we put first decides where everything else lands.
What Staying Close Feels Like
The best picture I have of this comes from parenting.
When one of my kids is melting down and wants to sit in their misery, I can usually stay calm. I’m not invested at the same emotional level they are, so I don’t have to overreact. I can be there and be a support. I’m not keeping score of how they’re handling it, and I’m not waiting for them to fix it first.
I think that’s closer to how Jesus sees us than the measuring we do. He isn’t keeping count of the missed prayer or the skipped Sunday. He stays steady while we’re a mess, and he asks us to remain.
There are plenty of times I forget, and I lose my cool. But that’s the clearest picture I have of what it looks like to remain: to choose him again, steadily, whatever kind of day it is.
Try It This Week
Pick one moment each day to talk to him before the day takes over. It can be a minute in the car, at the sink, or before you open your phone. Keep it small enough that you can repeat it.
Or sit with this question: where am I measuring myself against someone else instead of simply staying close?
Each command in this series is its own post, so you can follow along one day at a time or start with the one you need most today. These small choices work alongside the daily commands, not in place of them.
Tonight’s Prayer
Dear Lord, I need to ask and to communicate with you. Help me to watch, and help me to seek your kingdom first in all I do. In this busy week, help me remember that you are my focus. Amen.
Next Week
Next week we move from where we stay to what we carry. Week 2 is about a steady heart, and what it looks like to give Jesus our emotions: fear, forgiveness, mercy, and more.