“Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

Editor’s note: Read more about our Lent 2024 theme, “‘Not My Will, but Yours’: Surrendering to the Father During Lent,” here.

I am part of a Christian businesswomen’s networking group that hosts an annual mini-retreat. There, we ask our Lord to provide a word for our year.

This year, God gave me a phrase: “Abide on the journey.”

As I dove into this phrase, two themes keep coming up: surrender and being present.

Staying Present in a Busy Life

My life is busy. I am sure yours is, too. It’s busy with my kids (twin toddler three-year-olds, a highly creative six-year-old, and an eight-year-old who thinks he is a teenager) and their needs. It’s busy with my job (financial planning) and my clients’ expectations. It’s busy with hobbies (gardening, working out, walks, a couple’s group). It’s busy with friends. It’s busy with my faith.

Busy, busy, busy. 

When life is this busy, it is easy for me to lose my presence in my current situation and immediately move into planning for the next one. Rather than watching my son play basketball, I am meal-planning. Rather than playing with my kids on the playground, I am scheduling meetings. Rather than talking with my husband when he comes home from work, I am trying to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible.

I am not abiding.

“Abiding” has many definitions. From a secular perspective, it can mean to tolerate or follow a rule. Spiritually, we tend to use it to describe dwelling with or remaining in Christ. All of these definitions speak to my heart. I need to be better at abiding with Christ and abiding with the people around me. In order to do so, I need to surrender my desire to be as productive as possible.

My husband and I joke about a personality test we took in college. It labeled him as an observer and me as an achiever. In our society, that sounds like a great thing, right? I am motivated to finish tasks and finish them well. However, when the focus is on finishing and not “abiding on the journey,” I can miss the beauty in the moments it takes to accomplish the task. And, to be honest, I am also often stressed.

Surrendering More Deeply

If I am to take the time to be more present with the people around me, I must allow myself to accomplish less in a day—kind of. In reality, I am accomplishing different and, arguably, more important things. I am investing in and building relationships. I am more aware of detours God may be asking me to take. I listen better. I love better.

Honestly, in living out these words (well, trying to, at least!), I am learning to surrender on a deeper level. I must lead with, “Lord, I surrender everything, especially my to-do list, to you. What you want to happen today, show me how to accomplish it. The rest, may it be done in your time or not at all.”

I am far from perfect. My to-do list is long, and finding balance is hard—but it’s not nearly as hard as what Jesus surrendered for all of us when He said in the garden to the Father, “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

As Lent continues, I will do my best to keep up this surrender. Will I fail? Definitely. Honestly, as an achiever, I really need to fail. I need to check my pride and remember that it is God who does all things in me. It is God who gives me my strength. It is God’s plans that are better and stronger than my own. As I work on “abiding on the journey,” I know God will put beautiful moments into my life.

What about you? How can you surrender more to God? How can you abide with him?

Erica Mathews is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with Financial Counseling Associates, a small, family-owned, independent financial planning and investment management firm. She is passionate about helping families and individuals build their wealth so they can live out the calls God has placed on their hearts. As a wife, mom of four, and businesswoman, Erica understands the complexities of family life and helps relieve the burden of financial stress with organization, a plan, and automation so her clients hit their goals. Erica lives in Colorado with her husband and four kids. They love everything outdoors, including gardening, hiking, biking, and simply exploring nature. If you would like to reach out to Erica, her email is erica@fca-inc.com.