DWELLING WITH CHRIST

Ministry and marketplace leaders often possess an above-average internal drive to be productive and achieve results. It may be challenging for some of us to spend even ten minutes in total focus with Christ, excluding all else, and simply dwell with God. Yesterday, I did just that, and as I reflect back, I question myself: “What did I produce?” “What a foolish question,” you might say. And I would agree. I sat with our Master and dwelled in His presence. You would probably say, “That is enough,” and of course, you’d be right. So why do I feel the need to do more than that? Why is dwelling with Christ not sufficient? And if it is a major accomplishment, why don’t we do this more often?


For me, I’m wired to produce results. I like to look back on my day and see that my calendar was filled with appointments and that I helped a dozen or more people. Then, I have a sense of accomplishment. I tend to be a human “doing” and forget that God made me a human “being.” Every once in a while, I need a reminder to simply be – to just dwell – in the presence of Christ.


As I type these words, I realize that right now I am doing more than just dwelling. So, I will pause here, spend some time in silent dwelling with Christ, and come back in a minute to finish this blog. You might want to try this too. Let’s set a timer for 10 minutes, and then I’ll come back and finish writing this blog post.


Dwelling
If you just tried that, I imagine we had similar experiences:

• 10 minutes seemed like a long time.
  
• Our thoughts went many places, and it was hard to only “dwell” with Christ.
  
• There was a relaxation of our bodies, and deeper breathing occurred.
  
• We found ourselves surrendering to Christ.
  
  
  

For me, I plan on practicing this 10 minutes of pure “dwelling” more often. It is a learned skill to be able to sit quietly, shut out the world around us, and simply dwell with Christ. The more we practice this, the better we will get at it. Just like any skill, it takes repetition.


CONCLUSION
There is great value in dwelling with Christ, not the least of which is the process of surrender that seems to always take place when we shut out the world and only focus on Him, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Master.


I always provide scriptures for these blogs. Today is no different. Here are eight that encourage us to dwell often in the presence of Christ:

1. "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." - John 15:4 (ESV)
   
2. "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!" - Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
   
3. "But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." - Habakkuk 2:20 (NIV)
   
4. "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." - Psalm 27:4 (ESV)
   
5. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
   
6. "For in him we live and move and have our being." - Acts 17:28 (ESV)
   
7. "But you, when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
   
8. "I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" - Psalm 91:2 (ESV)
   
   
   

These scriptures reflect the importance of dwelling with Christ, being still in His presence, and the peace and rest that come from such time spent. They offer encouragement to prioritize this spiritual practice, highlighting its value in our relationship with God.


Your aspiring servant, Daniel M. 
December 27, 2023
POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily, transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ.