Quiet Time Series: Abiding, Not Achieving

When I hear the word abide, I picture fruit still attached to a tree.
Not fruit striving to grow, but fruit remaining where life flows naturally. Abiding feels less like effort and more like obedience. It is staying connected instead of proving growth.

This quiet time is about releasing achievement and returning to where fruit actually forms.

Where Fruit Comes From

I often default to achieving when it comes to life plans. Goals, direction, and outcomes pull my attention quickly. When I am striving, my body feels tired and exhausted because I am relying on my own strength. Effort multiplies, but peace thins out.

Jesus says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself” (John 15:4). That verse names the truth simply. Fruit does not come from pushing harder. It comes from staying connected.

Writer Andrew Murray once wrote, “Abiding in Christ is not a matter of effort, but of surrender.” That distinction changes everything.

Obedience as Staying Connected

Abiding feels closely tied to obedience for me. God’s Word already lives in my heart through Scripture, and faith flows from that listening. When I stay connected, peace shows up as fruit without being chased.

Abiding becomes difficult when I rely on myself instead of God. I notice it when I take the wheel, driven by fear or lack of trust. Proverbs reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Abiding invites trust back into the center.

The poet Wendell Berry once said, “It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work.” Abiding often begins right there.

Soul Insights

1. Abiding begins with remaining, not producing.
Fruit grows because it stays attached to the tree. Effort does not accelerate that process. Life flows through connection. Abiding keeps me where nourishment is steady. Growth follows naturally.

2. Striving uses strength, abiding receives life.
When I strive, my body grows tired quickly. Exhaustion signals that I am carrying what was not meant to be carried alone. Abiding shifts the source of energy. Strength is received, not forced. Rest returns to the body.

3. Obedience is a form of abiding.
Listening to God’s Word anchors me without effort. Faith becomes lived rather than performed. Obedience keeps me aligned with truth already planted in my heart. Abiding deepens trust. Connection stays intact.

4. Peace reveals where fruit is forming.
When I stay instead of push, peace appears. Peace becomes evidence of connection. It does not need to be manufactured. It shows me where life is flowing. Fruit always carries peace with it.

5. Self-reliance disrupts abiding quietly.
Taking control feels subtle at first. Trust slips, and striving steps in. Abiding becomes harder when I rely on myself. Prayer restores alignment. Remaining becomes possible again.

Reflection

Sit with this question gently:
Where have I been pushing when I was invited to remain?

Let the answer come without forcing it.

Final Thoughts

Abiding is not passive waiting or spiritual avoidance. It is choosing connection over control and trust over effort. Achieving measures growth by output, but abiding measures growth by fruit. When I remain, life flows without strain and peace shows up as evidence. This quiet time invites a return to where nourishment already exists. Staying connected is where becoming happens.

A Gentle Companion

If this reflection resonates, 17 Syllables of Me was written from the same posture of abiding. Each poem is a small act of remaining, shaped by Scripture, faith, and lived experience. It is meant to be read slowly, without urgency, allowing fruit to form in its own time.

Soul Path Insights