Spend Time With Him
10 Practical Ways to Show Your Love for Jesus — Devotion 1 of 10
John 15:4-5 — “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Opening Reflection
No one who genuinely loves another person is content simply to know facts about them. Love wants presence. It wants time, nearness, unhurried attention. This is exactly the picture Jesus paints for His disciples on the night before His death: not a call to try harder, but an invitation to abide - to remain, to dwell, to stay close.
Notice what Jesus does not say. He does not say, "Work hard enough and I will let you into fellowship with Me." He extends the fellowship first and invites His disciples to simply remain in it. Abiding is not a reward for effort; it is the position from which everything else in the Christian life grows.
Love for Jesus is more than a feeling we profess. It reveals itself in the ordinary patterns of everyday life. Throughout this series, we will explore ten practical expressions of a heart that truly loves Christ—not to earn His love, but because we have already received it. Everything begins here: spending time with Him.
Taking a Devotional View
The Greek word behind "abide" (meno) means to remain, to stay, to make one's home. It describes a settled dwelling, not an occasional visit. Everything Jesus promises next - fruitfulness, answered prayer, deep joy - flows out of this one condition. Apart from Him, He says plainly, we can do nothing (v.5). Time with Jesus is not a box to check before "real" ministry begins. It is the root system that makes any fruit possible at all.
This is why Jesus so gently commends Mary over Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was busy with many good things, but Mary chose simply to sit at Jesus' feet and listen. Jesus called that "the good portion" - not because service is wrong, but because presence must come first. The first and most basic way to show love for Jesus is simply to want to be near Him.
Key Thoughts & Takeaways
Key Thoughts
- Abiding is a settled dwelling with Christ, not an occasional visit (John 15:4).
- Fruitfulness is the overflow of abiding, not a substitute for it - apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
- Like Mary at Jesus' feet, love chooses presence over mere productivity (Luke 10:38-42).
- The first way to love Jesus is simply to want to be near Him.
Ask Yourself
- Does my relationship with Jesus feel more like scheduled visits or settled abiding?
- What activities have I let substitute for actual time with Him?
- When did I last sit in His presence with no agenda but to be near Him?
- What would it look like this week to choose the "good portion" like Mary?
Lord Jesus, thank You that You call me to abide, not merely to perform. Forgive me for the times I have mistaken busyness for love, and even service for closeness. Draw me to sit at Your feet, to want simply to be near You, and let every fruit in my life flow from that abiding place. In Your name, amen.