A.D.D – Is That the Diagnosis?
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. NAS
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:4 New Living Translation
Did you ever notice that when you buy a certain type of car…suddenly, you see that car EVERYWHERE? Or you think of someone and then they call you or you run into them, maybe again and again? It’s a coincidence or maybe someone is trying to get your attention? Well, over the past year and a half, this passage from John 15 has been brought to my attention more than once. I’ve read it many times over the years but then I read it as part of a devotional series I was doing. The next week, it was the text for a teaching I heard on a DVD. A few days passed and it was quoted in a book I’d been reading (not about the book of John) and finally it popped up as part of the Bible study I was teaching (again, not from the book of John)! It was funny and disconcerting at the same time. What was God trying to say to me? And why?
Here are some thoughts and teachings I believe may be of help to you as they have been to me.
Attention Deficit Disorder is a ‘developmental disorder’. Controversial in diagnosis since the 70’s, the increase in diagnosis and treatment, especially among boys (almost 4:1 ratio to girls) has led many to believe it is an epidemic. Others believe it is overly reported and that we are medicating too readily. Some of the signs and symptoms of A.D.D. are:
1. Easily distracted.
2. Difficulty maintaining focus.
3. Bored.
4. Not listening.
5. Easily become confused.
6. Struggle to follow instructions.
Hmmmmm…now where was I? We all may have some or most of these symptoms at any given time and I am in no way minimizing this condition. We have a dear friend who has struggled with this his entire life and was only diagnosed at age 50. It was not only frustrating to him as a child, youth and adult, but was exasperating to his loved ones. They often interpreted his dysfunction as being uncaring, unloving or just rude. He has learned some ‘tricks’ to help him with the problems his disorder causes and his family has also learned to adapt. Whether this is a ‘new’ disorder or not, real people struggle with the real effects of A.D.D.
There is another form of A.D.D. that is also a ‘developmental disorder’. It is Abiding Deficit Disorder. Both of these share the same symptoms but the diagnosis for Abiding Deficit Disorder is, I believe, under reported. It very well may be an epidemic in the modern church era. It is a real disorder that real people struggle with and they struggle with the effects of Abiding Deficit Disorder too. It affects the very development of the Life of Christ in us and works to ‘short circuit’ or even destroy the bond between us as the branch and Jesus as the Vine. It is one of the things that Jesus said we can do ourselves and if we couldn’t do it, He would have said so or He wouldn’t have mentioned it at all. Distraction, confusion, bored, unable to focus or listen or obey instructions. If it were as simple as a pill or syrup to cure, we’d probably all step up to ‘take our medicine’. It is a more subtle dysfunction for the believer but one that Jesus addressed during his farewell dialogue with his beloved disciples which gives us the hope for a cure. Just after the Last Supper, Jesus shares this important warning as part of his final instructions before His departure. He knew what was going to happen to Him AND what would happen to His followers and He wanted to give them a ‘heads up’.
Jesus comforted the disciples by telling them in John 14 about “My Father’s house”. He promises them His Holy Spirit to come and ‘dwell’ with them after He is gone. And Jesus proclaims another “I Am” title…the True Vine. He also leaves them with a final commandment in John 15:12 – “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” All of the ‘final instructions’ come because in John 14:25, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.” Physically with them but soon separated from them in this world. His presence would be real in another way, spiritually, but they wouldn’t understand that. He saw the confusion, the fear and the loss they would soon encounter and as a loving Shepherd, He was preparing His flock. God also knows our very nature. He knows that we are ‘but dust’ (Gen 3:19 “...you are from dust and to dust you will return.”) and we are finite. We are limited in our knowledge and our strength. (1 Cor 1:25 “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”). God knows as part of His very nature what is so perplexing to us. He speaks to us the very truth that we will need.
So when I ‘heard’ God speaking to me about this passage in John 15:4, it was like Moses saying as he saw the burning bush in Exodus 3:3a “I must turn aside and see this marvelous sight…” I read it over and over again, I looked up commentaries on it, and I looked at the cross references in the Bible and just chewed on it for all this time. And you know what? I’m still chewing and studying. It’s inexhaustible. The few things I can share with you today are just that…a few things. But I hope they give you some help on your journey of faith too.
Here is some context of where Jesus and His disciples are when He tells them to Abide in Me. The Master and His Merry Men have enjoyed the Passover celebration. The last one, this side of Heaven, but they don’t know that. Jesus is cramming in the lessons He must teach them before he takes on His final Mission at the cross. There are many followers all with their own ideas and some with definite agendas. The activities of the feast and the demonstrations of Jesus washing their feet are swirling around in their thoughts. He reveals that He will be betrayed and they are stunned. He tells them He’s leaving and they are confused. He keeps talking about a Helper and what does that exactly mean? He speaks again about love and peace but it’s all getting too mixed up in their minds.
Then Jesus starts talking about Vines, branches, fruit…it’s a lot to process all at one time. For the apostles and for us. It’s a truth that is central to our understanding of the relationship we have with Christ and with one another. That’s why it is part of Jesus’ words.
Another version says ‘Dwell in me and I dwell in you” and another says “Remain in Me and I will remain in you.” There’s a notion of ‘staying or settling’. He is talking about a reciprocal relationship. Not of possession, like an occupying enemy sets up his headquarters in your house but you don’t have any say or control. Not as an infestation like unwanted termites that you can’t get rid of. God invites us to come into relationship with Him and He will be in fellowship with us. A mutual agreement. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you are saved through faith and that is not of yourself, it is a gift of God.” As His earliest disciples were comforted by His words, we 21st century disciples are comforted too. And as they were challenged by these Words, so are we.
Abiding, dwelling, remaining…those are hard concepts for us especially in a day and age where things change not in just in years or days but in nana seconds. We have a very transient society. That’s not just a problem of modern culture though, that was a problem in ancient civilization as well. The political machine was well in place in Jesus day and the seasons passed just as quickly then as they do now. Perhaps that is why Jesus uses the analogy of the Vine and branches. It’s timeless. Then and now, fruit grows from branches that are attached to vines. No matter the language or culture, all over the world it’s the same. Vines are a spreading plant. They continue to grow and keep reaching out and more branches and more fruit is produced as the plant spreads. It’s a wonderful picture of how the Church grows too. Jesus is the Vine and we are all attached to him and as we are attached to Him, trusting in His grace and walking by faith in His love, we are producing fruit and on and on it goes.
Jesus called Himself the True Vine. The One and only vine. Not a fake or phony vine. The ‘I AM’ Vine. A source of sustenance for branches which bear fruit. In that statement He again tells us that He is The Life. We understand that without the Vine, the branches wither and die. Without the connection to the Vine, there is no fruit. If we understand all this then why do we have A.D.D?
We can look at the symptoms and recognize ourselves. Confused? Bored? Distracted? Inattentive? Yup…that’s me! So I’m not abiding? How did that happen? When did that happen?
It’s maybe a small thing, at first. More of just a shift in attitude or attention. Oh yes, I dwell in Jesus and He’s right here dwelling with me. I’m just going to go over and spend a little time at my ‘take care of me’ place and maybe I’ll just stop by and take a few days to hang at my ‘everyone else is doing it’ center. I know God loves me and we’re cool and all, I just don’t know if I can keep on ‘abiding’ in Him all the time. Isn’t that kinda fanatical? Does abiding mean I have to hang with Jesus ALL the time?! In a word…Yes!
It could be something bigger gets in the way…sort of crowds you out of the house with Jesus. A sudden change in health, finances or relationship even good changes can crowd in and draw our attention away. It seems overwhelming or too hard to ‘remain’ with God while still trying to ‘manage’ all the other stuff that just got dumped on my doorstep. Do I have to ‘abide’ in Him when I’ve got all these things to do? Yes!
I’ll admit I don’t fully understand the concept of Abiding. I don’t fully understand the concept of electricity either…but that doesn’t stop me from using it! I know Jesus abides in me and that I abide in Him. I’m committed to holding onto that truth as much or as little as I understand it. When I asked Jesus into my life, surrendering my sins in exchange for His holiness, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I knew I was miserable and that I had failed. I’d made a mess of my life up to that point and wanted God to help me. When I said, ‘Jesus, please forgive me. Take away my sins and give me your grace,’ He came to ‘dwell’ with me. We’ve ‘remained’ together for nearly 35 years.
I need to remember that we are ‘living together’, Jesus and me. When I start doing things in my own strength, my own way…I’ve ‘moved’ out so to speak. Maybe I just put up a shower curtain in the house to separate myself from God but I’m detaching from the Vine. Maybe I’m disappointed so I just take myself to a closet and shut the door…I’m detaching from the Vine. When I see the symptoms of A.D.D. in my heart or life, I want to check to be sure I’m still securely attached to the Vine, my source.
1 Corinthians 3:9 says “… you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation...” We are God’s garden, vineyard and field….and we’re under cultivation! Any farmer knows you have to prune your crop and he also knows that you have to be careful how you do that or you’ll kill the plant and ruin the crop. It may be that God allows circumstances to help strengthen our attachment to Him as well. John 15:2 says “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it will bear more fruit.” Jesus said in verse 1 that ‘My Father is the vinedresser.’ A Master farmer wisely trims all the things that interfere with the plants best growth, health and fruitfulness. God will remove anything, even things we feel are essential, in order to keep our focus on Him and what is truly best for us. We learn to trust our Father, the Vinedresser, to do what is right as we abide with Him.
A lesson I learned on this was some years ago when we were in a very difficult circumstance. We had eagerly followed what we felt was God’s leading and it led us right into a fiery furnace! Did you ever get yourself into something and then almost immediately realize it was a BIG mistake? Well, that’s what happened and we were literally trapped…with 3 small children and another on the way! I cried every day for nearly a year. To be honest, it felt lousy. We had to go through the motions every day, try to do the best we could under awful conditions and keep a little flicker of faith. I didn’t feel like ‘abiding’ with God. I thought God had packed up and moved out on me! Somehow, by His grace, the Spirit that was really still dwelling in me stumbled onto I Peter 4:19 “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” I clung to that Word. I still cling to it today. The Lord, abiding in me, spoke to me by that Word. I’ve gone back to that Word many times since and its truth still holds. The fact that we were led or ‘misled’ to a horrible circumstance only reinforces the truth that He abides in us and that we need to continually abide in Him. God used His pruning shears on me. He removed some things I didn’t even see that were beginning to choke the ‘life’ out of me and would make me fruitless. With loving care God tenderly pushed my roots to go deeper in Him. I can honestly say I’m thankful for that. I’m not volunteering to go back there, but I am thankful!
What is this fruit that will come from abiding in Him? Some commentators believe it has to do with making more disciples, like multiplication. Others think it has more emphasis in a virtuous life…ie-the fruit of the spirit. I believe it is a combination of both. As we dwell in Christ and He dwells in us, we take on the ‘divine’ nature, we are changed, transformed. 2 Cor. 3:18 in the Message translation puts it so clearly. “Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting law (legislation) is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” This is the reality of His abiding presence in our moment to moment lives. We have more knowledge of God, more understanding of his nature and we live in His love. John, the son of Zebedee aka son of Thunder, states in 1 John 2:6 “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” The fact that the same guy who wanted to call down destruction on people who weren’t receptive to the gospel message and made him mad, is a testimony of the fruit of abiding. John himself had been changed by the ‘indwelling’ presence of the Spirit of God. He was teaching the church that we should ‘walk the talk’ way back then! How to do that was by ‘abiding in Him’. Jesus lived His life before men to demonstrate this truth. He said in John 14:23 “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”
In John 13:35 Jesus said, “By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” John 15:8 “My Father is glorified by this that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.” These passages tell me that both disciplining and ethical living are the byproducts of abiding in Him. Just like grapes come from grapevines, apples grow on apple trees so love comes from abiding in Christ.
And as importantly, in John 15:11 Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.” Another fruit that God promises to us by abiding is joy. That is also in short supply these days. We’ve got ‘happy’ which is pretty temporary and whole industries built on making us happy. Joy is more elusive. Again, that deep settled and abiding sense of contentment not based on circumstances good or bad. It’s not listed as a symptom of A.D.D. but should be. The lack of real joy is a prime indicator that we are disconnecting from the Vine. Not that we all don’t have ‘bad’ days or feel ‘down’ at times but the gnawing emptiness and discontent which plagues us continually means we need to Abide in Him. Psalm 16:11 “In Your presence is fullness of joy…” It is the very act of abiding in Him that fills us with joy because we are in HIS presence! The prophet Zechariah predicted the very promise which Jesus declared to his disciples. In Zechariah 2:10 “The Lord said, sing for joy, people of Jerusalem! I am coming to live among you!” There is something so amazing in this exchange. We are asked to abide in Him and He promises to abide in us and fill us with joy. All we are doing is keeping the door open!
Do you have Abiding Deficit Disorder? Are you feeling a little confused, distracted or unable to listen? The remedy is to open the door, let Jesus come in. “Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with me.” (Good News Translation) Revelation 3:20. We often hear this text quoted in regard to asking Jesus to be our Savior which is valid. Don’t forget that this was written to the Church at Laodicea. They were already believers, followers of the Way (Jesus). His invitation to abide is for first time disciples and long-time disciples. Otherwise, why would He have given this admonition, “Abide in Me” to the men who had been faithfully walking with Him for over 3 years? God knows our hearts and He continually calls us to be in fellowship with Him. Whether we are the Prodigal Son being drawn from the faraway place we have wondered off too or the Elder Brother who was nearby yet had gotten so distant in heart.
Tear down the curtain that is blocking or separating you from His presence. Come back in from the porch where you’ve been hiding. Let Him prune away anything that is distracting you from Him. By an act of faith, ask Him to help you trust Him to do what is right in your life as hard as that may be. Keep searching His Word for strength to hold on while He clips away. Make your decision to Abide in Him and then watch for how His abiding presence will begin to fill you with joy and the fruitfulness of His life in you will become even more evident.
Let’s pray.
