Drinking tea and abiding in Christ

I do not often drink hot tea, but when I do, I drink a tea that is given to me by one of our missionaries in China.

It is a rose tea that has great flavor and taste.

(I would give you the name of the tea - but it is in Chinese).

Here's what I know about drinking tea:

Some people are dippers.

They dip their tea bag up and down in the mug.

Others drop the tea bag into the water (in the cup) and let it stay there. 

As the tea bag rests (abides) in the hot water, the color of the water begins to change.

Are you a "dipper" or are you an "abider"?

Christians are either dippers or abiders.

Dippers dip in on a Sunday morning (they are SMO's - Sunday Morning Only Christians), then dip back out.

They might even dip back in on a Wednesday evening but then they dip back out.

The rest of the time, their relationship with Christ is put to the side, becomes cold and lifeless.  Most people don't hate God - they just forget about God.

When you are a dipper you have to make things happen on your own.  You've got to move the bag up and down, dip a spoon in and out of the cup, wrap the string around the spoon, jerk and then pull.

It can require a lot of human effort.

But when you are an abider, the water changes all by itself.

And as you "abide" in the water of the Holy Spirit, the tea (your spiritual walk) becomes stronger and stronger. 

The depth of your abiding determines the rate of your progress in your walk with Jesus.

Jesus desires that you and I rest in His presence.  Jesus desires that you and I dwell in his anointing.

Jesus desires that you and I remain and experience the full strength of His power.

It is by abiding that I become strong.

Jesus said in John 15:4, "Abide in me, and I will abide in you."

Why not try being an abider today?  And let the dippers come and go.

Just a thought for a Tuesday.