Proof of Abiding in Him

[S] 1 John 3:24 --
 ²⁴The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

[O] Abiding in God takes more than the willing heart although that is a good starting point.  It must be complemented by keeping (action) His commandments. This act of obedience can only be done by the Spirit given from God because on our own it is impossible to complete.  So in order for me to abide in Him, having the Spirit in me is a must and so the fact that I can abide in Him means I have the Spirit in me.  Jesus came 2,000 years ago in order for me to abide in Him through the Spirit He sent us after His ascension into Heaven.  And I am glad I had received His Spirit into my life many years ago, however, the fact that I still struggle to abide in Him on daily basis points out that my inner struggle between my self will vs. the Spirit is an on-going phenomena that I have to observe carefully and guide wisely to bring out His Spirit's fruits.  In many ways, I must minimize my will power and submit to the leading of His Spirit because in the end by revealing the works of the Spirit in my life that I will prove that I belong to Him.

[A] As I daily meet with Jesus, I need to learn to hear His voice teaching me in which area I need to let go of my will-power and to surrender and submit to His Spirit.  This is not to put a show to others, but this way others will recognize that it is His Spirit working in my life that sustains me.

[P] Dear Spirit, thank You for coming into my life and working in me.  I know I need to surrender more areas of my life to reveal my abiding in You.  I desire this very much and I also realize this is a "dangerous" request because You will answer my request and that potentially means I need to face some challenging circumstances to burn away the impurities in my mind -- i.e., difficult.  Continue to give me strength, wisdom, and healthy outlook to carry on with my life highlighting Your wonderful fruits in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.