Unless You Abide

Today’s Encouragement is John 15:4b ESV As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

Unless you abide –

Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches (v5).  Yet, unlike this analogy, we have free will, we are free to ‘attach’ ourselves to whatever we choose. 

Many choose to ‘attach’ themselves to success, fame, wealth, prestige, beauty, and even family!  This can be seen by our time, energy, and money invested to achieve our desired goals!  “Be the best!  Be true to yourself! Be whatever or whoever you want to be!”

Figuratively these folks have attached their branch to these things of the world.  As this analogy goes, the fruit they will bear will be according to the things they have chosen. 

We do get to choose how we spend our lives, how we invest our time, attention, our love, and our focus.  

Jesus says that we are like branches, and when we are attached to Him, choosing to invest our lives in Him, connected to, and abiding in Him… we will bear fruit for Him.  This fruit is a meaningful life, positively affecting those around us, and sharing His Love, Grace, and Kindness with others.  This is the fruit of a branch abiding in Jesus! 

As with all of God’s Truth, His invitations, we need only to say “Yes” to Him, to surrender to Him… and since He is the Vine… He feeds, nourishes, and sustains us.  We can simply rest in Him.

Father, we thank You for the Truth, that we are useless without being attached to You, abiding In You… And when we do, You will produce fruit through us! Help us to choose to abide In You!  

Rest

Matt Maher