At a recent Christian writers conference, one of the speakers made a statement that touched my heart . It wasn’t at all about the craft of writing but about who we are as followers of Jesus. She said, “Remember (as Christians) we have a bubble of love surrounding us at all times.” Her words struck me with their truth and left me grateful for this protective shield of faith.
When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, His Spirit came to dwell within me. This is an incomprehensible mystery. Unless you’ve experienced the wonder yourself, it’s impossible to explain. The Bible uses diverse imagery to describe this phenomena though the most memorable for me is that of the vine and the branches.
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing…As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
the words of Jesus from John 15:5&9
As a gardener myself, this is a simple analogy to understand. When a branch stays securely connected to the vine, it receives all the nutrients it needs to stay strong and healthy. Without the vine and its sturdy roots, the branch withers and dies. Love is the essential life-giving element for a Christian to not only survive but to thrive.
Often the term, ‘abide’ is used to describe the connection between Jesus and His followers. Abide has varying definitions. It means to accept, to remain, to dwell, to endure and to wait. All these describe the qualities of a relationship with Jesus. When we accept Jesus, his Spirit remains and dwells with us. This Spirit forms a bubble of love around and within us helping us endure and wait for His return.
But this bubble of love doesn’t spare us from the pain and suffering of this life. Quite the contrary, sometimes it attracts trouble because it associates us with Jesus. Yet it protects our soul for eternity and acts like a force field deflecting the arrows of evil that assail us.
When we abide in God’s bubble of love, nothing can defeat us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39
