The Difference Between Hanging Around and Abiding in Faith
Have you ever noticed the difference between someone who’s just “going through the motions” and someone who’s truly committed? In our spiritual lives, there’s a profound distinction between simply hanging around as a Christian and actually abiding in Christ. This difference can transform not only how we experience faith but how we impact the world around us.
What Does It Mean to Just “Hang Around” in Faith?
Picture a broken tree branch that’s still attached to the tree but no longer receiving any nourishment. It’s technically still part of the tree, but it’s not thriving or growing. This perfectly illustrates what it looks like when we’re just hanging around in our faith.
Signs You Might Be Hanging Around
Maybe you recognize this pattern in your relationships: friendships that exist in name only, where you used to be close but now you’re just going through the motions. Perhaps it’s at work, where you show up every day but never fully engage. You’re present physically but checked out mentally and emotionally.
Even in marriages, couples can find themselves living under the same roof but functioning more like roommates than spouses. The same thing can happen in our relationship with Jesus.
The Problem with Hanging Around
When we’re just hanging around in our faith, it’s incredibly draining. We’re not connected to the source of life and nourishment that comes from truly abiding in Christ. There’s no real commitment or connection that sustains us. We’re just kind of there, holding on by a thread.
A Powerful Example from Scripture
The book of Philemon gives us an incredible example of what it looks like to move from hanging around to truly abiding in faith. This short letter involves three key characters who each face a choice between cultural conformity and kingdom living.
The Three Men and Their Choices
Paul – Once a persecutor of Christians, now writing from prison as a transformed follower of Jesus. He could use his apostolic authority to demand obedience, but instead chooses to appeal on the basis of love.
Philemon – A slave owner and church leader who must decide whether to follow cultural norms or kingdom principles when dealing with a runaway slave.
Onesimus – A former slave who ran away (likely stealing in the process) but found faith in Christ while in prison. Now he must face his past and return to the man he wronged.
What Does Abiding Look Like?
For Paul: Choosing Love Over Power
Paul writes, “Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.” Paul chooses humility and love over exercising his authority. This is abiding: letting Christ’s character shape how we use whatever power or influence we have.
For Philemon: Choosing Kingdom Values Over Cultural Norms
Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus back “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.” This was radically countercultural. Abiding meant choosing God’s kingdom values over societal expectations, even when it would be costly socially and financially.
For Onesimus: Choosing Courage Over Shame
Perhaps most challenging of all, Onesimus had to return to face the man he had wronged. Abiding meant putting away shame and walking in the courage that comes from knowing his new identity in Christ.
The Promise That Changes Everything
Romans 8:1 declares: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This promise is the foundation that makes abiding possible. When we truly understand that we’re forgiven and free from condemnation, we can move beyond shame, pride, and the need to conform to worldly patterns.
Why Love That Abides Is Costly
Paul demonstrates costly love when he tells Philemon, “If he has done any wrong to you or owes you anything, charge it to me.” True abiding love requires sacrifice. It will cost you:
- Socially (going against cultural norms)
- Financially (sometimes literally paying a price)
- In public opinion (people may not understand your choices)
But this costly love is worth it because it reflects the heart of Jesus and brings about transformation in ourselves and others.
Moving from Hanging Around to Abiding
Remember Your Identity
The key to abiding is remembering who you are as part of God’s family. Paul reminds us that in Christ, there is no distinction between slave and free, Jew and Greek, male and female – we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Live Out Kingdom Values
The gospel isn’t just about getting to heaven someday. It’s about Jesus being Lord over real life, over difficult decisions, over how we treat people who are different from us or who have wronged us.
Choose Costly Love
Look for opportunities to show costly love – love that requires sacrifice, time, energy, or stepping out of your comfort zone. This might mean volunteering in community outreach, extending forgiveness to someone who hurt you, or standing up for kingdom values even when it’s unpopular.
Life Application
This week, examine your faith honestly. Are you hanging around or truly abiding in Christ? Consider one person in your life who could really use some costly love – whether that’s your time, money, energy, or patience.
Remember that abiding in Christ means allowing His love to flow through you in ways that might be countercultural or costly. It means choosing kingdom values over worldly expectations, love over power, and courage over shame.
Questions for reflection:
- In what areas of your life are you just “hanging around” rather than fully engaging?
- Who is one person God is calling you to show costly love to this week?
- What cultural norms or expectations might God be asking you to challenge in order to live out kingdom values?
- How does knowing there’s “no condemnation in Christ Jesus” change how you approach relationships and difficult situations?
The difference between hanging around and abiding isn’t just about personal spiritual growth – it’s about becoming the kind of person who brings heaven to earth through costly, transformative love.