Digging Deeper: Linger
4 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.
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:4-5 (NLT)
LINGER
If you haven’t already guessed, I’m a “word” person. I love digging into a word’s original meaning, tracing it back to how it was used in its original context, and discovering the richness behind what the writer was trying to convey.
Because of that, it might not surprise you that every year, instead of setting resolutions or goals, I choose a word. Well, actually, I don’t choose the word—I let the Lord do that. Around September or October each year, I start praying and listening, asking God to reveal what He wants me to focus on for the upcoming year.
For 2025, the word He gave me is linger.
At first, I thought, That’s an odd word. I even waited, thinking maybe something else would rise to the surface. But He kept pressing this idea into my heart: staying with Him, abiding in Him, and spending unrushed, intentional time at His feet.
It all clicked when this verse came up in our small group. It was one of those sacred moments where the world around you fades away, and it feels like God is speaking directly to your heart. I knew, without a doubt, that linger was my word for 2025.
So, naturally, I did what I always do—I dove into Scripture, searching for verses about lingering. I found plenty of cross-references about abiding, but nothing that used the word linger itself. That was a first for me. Usually, I have a handful of anchor verses to guide me, but this year felt different.
It’s almost as if, by giving me a word that’s not commonly found in Scripture, God is inviting me to lean in closer—to press into Him and His Word in a deeper, more personal way so He can reveal what linger truly means for my heart. It feels like He’s calling me into a season of tender submission, where I sit with Him longer and let Him shape me in the stillness.
Whether you’re a “word” person, a resolutions person, or a goals person, I believe God is calling all of us to linger with Him. And it’s not just important—it’s vital.
Lingering with the Lord is how we make it through the heavy, hard days. It’s how we find strength for tough conversations and challenging situations. It’s how we remember where our power comes from.
As we step into 2025, I pray for God’s blessings over you. But more than that, I pray you’ll take time to pause, to sit with Him, and to linger just a little longer.
Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.