Abiding in the Vine: What It Actually Means

Stop Thrashing. Start Trusting.

A Lesson in Letting Go, Abiding in Christ, and Not Drowning in Effort

The Riptide Lesson

I’ve never been caught in a riptide. But I’ve dreamed about it. More than once.

And these are not peaceful, floating-on-my-back, enjoying-the-waves kinds of dreams.

No, in these dreams, I’m in deep water. Too deep. The shore is far away. And then, suddenly, the current grabs me. At first, I think I can handle it—I just need to swim harder. But the harder I fight, the faster I get pulled out. My arms burn. My lungs tighten. Panic sets in.

And right before I wake up, there’s this terrible moment of realization: I am not strong enough to win this fight.

Striving Will Drown You

It’s funny (not really), because I don’t just have this dream in my sleep—I’ve lived it.

Not in the ocean, but in life.

For years, I thought following Jesus meant working harder. Doing more. Pushing forward. Faith felt like running on a treadmill that never stopped. If I just read more, prayed more, served more—if I just got better—then I’d finally feel at peace.

But instead, I ended most days exhausted. I’d crash in the evening, wondering why, after all that effort, I still felt like I was coming up short.

Then one day, I was reading Acts 17.

The Epiphany That Changed Everything

Paul is in Athens, speaking at the Areopagus, surrounded by people who had built temples to every possible god—including one labeled “To the Unknown God.”

And Paul, in the way only Paul can, basically says: Let me introduce you to the God you don’t even realize you’re searching for.

And then he says something that hit me like a lightning bolt:

“He chose the exact times and places for each of us, that we might seek Him, reach out, and find Him—though He is not far from any of us.”

Not far. Not distant. Not waiting for me to get it all right.

I suddenly saw it: My whole purpose in life isn’t to strive for God—it’s to know Him. Not as a task, but as a lifelong pursuit.

Jesus never said, “Work harder, and you’ll eventually bear fruit.”

He said: “Abide in me, and you will bear much fruit.”

Abiding Is Counterintuitive

Abiding is the riptide lesson all over again.

When you’re caught in the current, every instinct screams: Fight! Swim harder! Get yourself out of this!

But the way to survive isn’t to fight. It’s to stop. To trust. To float. To move with the current instead of against it.

That’s abiding.

It’s not passivity—it’s surrender. It’s trust. It’s the difference between burning out for God and burning bright because of God.

Stop Thrashing. Trust the Current.

When I stopped thrashing and started trusting, something shifted. The exhaustion eased. The joy returned. The pressure to prove myself gave way to the simple reality that I was already known, already loved, already exactly where I was supposed to be.

But I’m still learning.

Some days, I forget. I get caught up in the striving again. I thrash. I panic. But then I remember: He is not far from me. And the invitation is always the same.

So if you feel like you’re drowning in effort, here’s your invitation:

Stop thrashing. Trust the current. Let Him carry you.

Because the Christian life isn’t about working for God. It’s about living from Him.

Where in your life do you need to stop thrashing and trust the current?