When my husband and I got married, we moved away from the small farming community we both grew up in. Many of our classmates still live there. Over the years, I’ve considered what we missed by not staying.
I’ve always believed the valiant were those who ventured out, who moved into unknown lands, who left the safety of home. But I am learning that perhaps our most faithful heroes are the ones who stayed.
Though I remained close to my parents in other ways, sometimes I still feel guilty that I didn’t stay. We raised three of their grandchildren five hours away. They lived their last decades alone, with no relatives closer than a half-day’s drive.
How would my life—and theirs—be different if I had stayed?
The Bible has its own terms for ‘staying.’
The word ‘abide’ appears 118 times in the Bible. ‘Abide’ signifies a deep, lasting, and active relationship with Jesus. It’s about remaining connected to Him, trusting in His Word, and allowing His love to permeate every aspect of life.
The concept is closely related to a word we use more often: ‘faithfulness’.
Being faithful is also a form of staying. Faithful in marriage, faithful to the cause, a faithful dog (or friend). Though it takes work, as in abiding, the main point is not leaving.
Though Abraham and Sarah did lots of travelling on the way to Canaan, their real story is in the staying. They stayed faithful to God when His promise of many descendants didn’t seem to be going anywhere for decades. Abraham is considered the father of our faith (Romans 4:11), and I imagine this is due, in no small part, to his abiding in those years when nothing was changing.
Staying, being faithful, and abiding come in many forms in our lives. Chronic illness has shown me how blessed I have been by those who stay:
For childhood friends who hold steadfast to murky memories and fading connections formed in elementary school.
For my husband staying with a version of me he didn’t choose.
For my prayer warriors (including my parents) not letting the length of the assignment cause them to quit.
Staying is hard and often unappreciated, but it is so powerful—especially in our Christian walk. Abiding is close faithfulness. It means choosing to stay with God through the dark seasons, the confusing times, the moments when we’re tempted to run, trusting that something sacred happens when we refuse to leave His side.
It’s remaining in relationship. No matter where we decide to live.
 | A guest post by
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