Not Every Person Stays

"Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6 ESV)

Jesus talks again and again about "abiding" with Him (See John 15). The word abide simply means "remain." Both the ambiguity and spiritual depth to the word are impossible to fully parse.

But the simplicity of the word is also true. And, perhaps it's time to come back to that simplicity and find that our fear of diving into complex things can often be solved by approaching them like a child. It's fairly simple really, do you abide with Jesus? Do you stay with Him? Do you remain in Him?

A conversation about salvation and losing it or keeping it is not one I'm even referencing here. I'm simply zooming into what Jesus said to Martha, "...but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42 ESV).

Is it not true that the "one thing" often gets displaced by the "many things" in our lives? Jesus went even further. He mentioned that the "one thing" when chosen, shall not be taken. The implication is that of all the things we could pursue the one thing that we can guarantee will last is the "one thing."

So what is this "one thing?" It's a Person. And His name is Jesus Christ. Oh, please don't run from the shift into abstraction. Don't let the fact that pursuing a Person instead of an "activity" seems to be more complex. Don't let it be.

And recognize this - God has shown us a powerful truth in His Word. Many, many people SAY that they have a "steadfast love" for someone, but where, oh where, is a faithful man? (Proverbs 10:24) In other words, MANY people at some point SAY they love Jesus, are with Him, are for Him - but not everyone STAYS with Him.

It makes the words of Jesus to the few remaining disciples even more powerful, "Do you want to leave me too?" (John 6:67 GWT)

And it's why Peter's rare words echo throughout history, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68 ESV).

His rationale? "Lord, even if we wanted to leave You, we have no where else to go..."

Have you reached the same conclusion? Have you tried the world only to be left empty time and time again? If so, you have an "advantage" per se that some people do not. You have the experience of lack showing you that God's Kingdom is the only answer. You recognize that even if you wanted to go somewhere else, there's nowhere else to go. You understand, intuitively - now - that the idea of leaving Jesus ought to be a laughable one based on the heartache and pain of the past. You see that MANY, MANY people can SAY they love Jesus, but the real question isn't about those who come, but those who stay.