Life is Pointless and Fruitless without the True Vine

I could try to get up and write everyday and probably be able to write but each day I come face to face with the reality that unless I am connected to the True Vine, nothing I do or say counts for anything. I want to bear fruit and I realize more and more my inability to do what God calls me to do each and every day unless I am connected to Him.

 Peering under the leaves of my zucchini plant I spy the evidence of a fruitful life attached to the vine.

John 15 comes to mind, as this is my all time favorite chapter in John.

Jesus starts out by describing himself as the true vine.  That means there must be false vines.

False vines would be things that we attach ourselves to in order to produce.  Maybe a personality trait that we value that others see in us, maybe a friend or family member who is highly capable in bringing out the best in us.

Productive lives are valued for sure in our society.  We place high esteem on people that are hard working and able-bodied.  But our value and our worth as Christ followers is in Him alone.  And if we are not connected to Him then what we do is worthless.

Years ago, as I dropped off food at a church in January, I walked by people that were waiting in line to receive from the food pantry.  Out of the corner of my eye, as I was walking out, I saw two white haired plump women sitting next to a very skinny man bundled in an old coat.  In a split second my brain processed what I was seeing.  His glasses had a large chunk of tar at one side holding the lense in place.  His skin was so dark, as if he had just returned from a southern vacation but I soon realized that not only was he dark from the sun but he looked as if he had not bathed in months.

That morning I had told the Lord that I noticed that as I dropped food off lately I had been in a hurry. I apologized and told Him that I wanted Him to use me and I did not want to be too busy working to notice what He would have me to do that day.

As I returned to my car and put my seatbelt on I heard His still small voice prompting me to go back into the waiting area and tell the man that Jesus loved him.

I wrestled interrnally for a few minutes wondering what people would think, and then as if the Spirit of God came upon me, I said aloud, "Who cares what people think!"

I went back into the building and walked up to this man and gave him the message that I knew was from the Lord.

When I sat back in my van, I began to scrutinize what I had said, wondering if I done right by just saying the few words that I did.  I was quickly corrected by the Spirit.  He impressed on me this idea; It doesn't matter what you say, you could say peanut butter, unless you speak by my Spirit it will be meaningless and bear no fruit.

I left the parking lot realizing that it is He that speaks and does the work and as long as I am tuned to His voice and in communion with Him, then He will use my life.

Well, I am thankful that He didn't have me say peanut butter and there will be more to come from this encounter in future writings but I learned that we must be abiding in Christ to produce fruit.

John 15:5  clearly show that unless we are connected to Christ, we can do nothing.

I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

And how silly it is to think that fruit can be produced apart from a vine.  

This cucumber vine produces the leaves that collect the energy from the sun that then excites the pigments in the leaves and transfers the energy from the sun into chemical energy that allows the plant to feed itself.

Much like our lives attached to Jesus, as we gaze on His brilliance and feed on His word,  our lives become fruitful.  

We can have the appearance of a fruitful life by the world's standards but if we are not attached to the vine, then all that we do is for nothing.  

Let us be excited and fully satisfied with Him, attaching our hearts to Him and no other vine, relying on Him to supply us with whatever we need to fuel our lives.  Let us not rely on other "false" vines, that lead us into lives that appear fruitful but in fact are meaningless and without eternal value.

Our default is to go to other vines and tend to things in our lives that the world values but Jesus says.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Our lives are meant to glorify the Father and in so doing we bear fruit and in the bearing of fruit we prove to be His disciples!  

So let us be in the Word and allow the Word to be in us!  Let us pray expecting to glorify our Father and so prove to be Christ's disciples!

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.