Abiding in Christ Between the Mountains and Valleys

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. -John 15:4 (ESV)

I’ve missed my porch this summer. It’s where I usually read, pray, write, and simply sit with Jesus. But this year’s heat has made those quiet mornings short-lived. At first, I felt like something important had been taken from me. Abiding in Christ felt a little off. 

Then I realized that while my routine had changed, God’s faithfulness had not. He still meets me each day—in His Word, in music that lifts my heart, in the pages of a good book, in unexpected moments of grace. The place has changed. His presence hasn’t. 

Seasons of grief will always be around the corner. But we know that they are simply seasons. Grief ebbs and flows like the tide of the ocean, and the grief doesn’t quite disappear. The intensity changes and our lives shift and move, which I think is a certain grace of God. 

We do not always have the mountain top moments and the valleys, dark and fearful, will also not always be there. This tide-of-life, everyday faithfulness of God is what gives us joy each day. 

Whether life feels bright and hopeful or shadowed by grief, Jesus never changes His invitation. He doesn’t ask us to come only when life is easy or when our faith feels strong. He simply says, “Abide in me.” In every season, His presence is the place where our souls find rest.

The place has changed. His presence hasn’t.

Psalm 33 reminds us that while our lives change with the seasons, God’s character never does. “For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness” (Psalm 33:4). His faithfulness isn’t dependent on whether we’re standing on a mountaintop or walking through a valley. Because He remains faithful, we can continue to abide in Him through every season. (Listen to Psalm 33 on the podcast here.) 

Walk with God in the Ordinary

God isn’t waiting for the next crisis to meet you. He walks with you on the ordinary path. What does abiding in Christ look like between the mountains and valleys? 

I remember vacuuming the same spot on the carpet for years. It was right in front of our bedroom door. At the end of the hallway, I would run the vacuum over and over again to this same spot. Then I would remember: it was a stain. It won’t vacuum up. And I can remember when my two-year-old had spilled the enter bottle of infant tylenol on the carpet, and my frantic call to my husband. He called poison control and they suggested we take him to the ER. 

Turns out he didn’t ingest too much (probably none with the amount I cleaned up). But, for months and years after that incident I remember vacuuming that same spot. 

It’s funny how routines become almost automatic. I never thought about vacuuming that spot until I remembered why it looked different. The ordinary carried the memory of an extraordinary moment. But abiding in Christ feels so daily. 

Our walk with Christ is often built the same way—not through dramatic spiritual highs, but through small, faithful habits practiced day after day. Our ordinary routines can become reminders of God’s faithfulness because small acts of faithfulness matter

Abiding usually looks ordinary.

Abiding Isn’t Adding More

Attach reminders of God’s presence to routines you’re already done. Instead of trying to find more time for God, invite Him into the moments that already fill your day. Ordinary routines can become gentle reminders that He is with you.

1. When you make your morning coffee, remember His mercies.
   As the coffee brews, thank God for a new day and pray, “Lord, help me abide in You today. Your mercies are new every morning.”
2. When you fold laundry, pray over the people who wear those clothes.
   Each shirt, towel, or tiny sleeper is an opportunity to thank God for your family and ask Him to grow them in faith and protect them.
3. When you vacuum the floor, remember God’s faithfulness.
   Just as a stain on the carpet reminded me of how God protected my son years ago, let ordinary household chores become reminders of God’s faithfulness in your own story. Thank Him for the ways He has carried you through difficult seasons.
4. When you buckle a child into the car or rock them to sleep, entrust them to God.
   Whisper a simple prayer for their future, their faith, and God’s protection. As you hold them close, remember that your heavenly Father is holding you, too.
5. When you lay your head on the pillow at night, release the day to Jesus.
   Instead of replaying everything left undone, thank God for His presence throughout the day. Rest in the promise that while you sleep, He is still faithfully at work.

Abiding isn’t about adding more to your schedule. It’s about attaching your heart to Jesus in the ordinary rhythms of life. Over time, those small acts of faithfulness become gentle reminders that His presence is with you—in the mountains, in the valleys, and in every ordinary moment in between.

Maybe abiding isn’t built during life’s biggest moments. Maybe it’s formed while making coffee, driving to work, praying in the carpool line, washing dishes, and faithfully choosing Christ again today.

Mountaintops inspire us. Valleys deepen us. But the quiet path between them is where we learn the key to abiding in Christ.