Shepherding: Abiding...

A brother and his wife came to visit us yesterday after an abrupt phone call. Though I usually used to pray with him over the phone, I sensed a need to fellowship with him face to face. The last time I met them was a couple of months ago. And this brother needs a special shepherding as he is being saved from a staunch Hindu Brahmin background.

As he came, he narrated of a serious lack in his life in spite of the fact that he is "successful" outwardly. He has present twenty three national and international records to his credit, and also got married to his most beloved. Before he became such, he used to be very happy and simple, and used to dream of achieving his dreams professionally, and also dreamed of getting married to his dream girl. Now he has achieved both, literally! But he confessed that he was less happier than before his dreams actually came true. 

As he narrated his longing for inward joy and satisfaction, which to me was a very positive sign, as the sense of life in him made him realise that outward "successes" cannot really give him joy and inward peace. After he poured himself out his feelings with a very sad visage, the Lord gave me two points of fellowship.

I took a Hindi Bible and led him to read John 15:1-11 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. We pray-read few verses from both chapters. 

4 Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. 

Abiding in Christ, the Lord, the Head of the Body: Personally

After pray-reading the above verse with much exercise of our spirits, I fellowshipped with him and his wife that they needed to abide in the Lord all the time. Though as regenerated believers, they have a relationship with God yet they may not enjoy fellowshipping with Him. The reason being, not abiding in God. This matter is of utmost importance for every believers, personally abiding in the Lord by spending time with Him in prayer and in the word of God. Without this enjoyment of the Lord in the word and in prayer, life is indeed an empty vessel.

Abiding in the Church, the Body of Christ: Corporately

Then, I fellowshipped on the importance of fellowship and blending with fellows brothers and sisters in the church. I strengthened the point that they are members of the church, and as much as possible they must meet with the saints, at least once in a week. By fellowship with the saint in the church we are strengthened and encouraged. I further expounded 1 Corinthian 12 with emphasis on the constitution of the Body, the importance of every member in the Body and the need for blending together in the Body with fellow members.

They both listened intently to the points I fellowshipped with them: the urgency of establishing a strong personal relationship and fellowship with the Lord, and also enjoying the corporate fellowship of the church life. Moreover, I emphasized the need to pay a price of time, money and energy. Yes, the higher the price, the more valuable it becomes. And after the fellowship we prayed together.

They both understood the burden of fellowship and decided to come every Lord's evening for fellowship. After such a sweet time of fellowship, the brother's face became much brighter and was full of joy. 

Praise the Lord for the shepherding of abiding in the Lord and in the Body. May the Lord truly and fully recover their enjoyment of Christ and the church life, and gain them truly for the testimony of Jesus in Gurugram, especially among his own people in the flesh.