By Chalcedony Williams
“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. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.
Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
John 15:5-8 NLT
When you were a child, can you remember being frustrated with the limitations placed on you by adults? For me, the words “wait until you grow up” or “you’re not old enough” would be a source of great irritation. I could not wait to be grown up. Growing up meant freedom, independence, doing things my own way and living my own life. Having to depend on adults and having to wait for permission to do things just seemed like shackles to break free from. However, that perception is not limited to just children. Many adults are determined to go it alone, exercising their rights and power independently. Relying on others can seem weak and can make us vulnerable to disappointment. So we opt to be lone rangers instead.
The sad thing about this is that God never intended for us to be independent. We were never meant to go it alone in this life. Jesus states in today’s verse, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” In other words, independence makes us powerless despite how strong we think we are. Rather than trying to do things by ourselves in our own strength, Jesus calls us to abide, to stay connected to Him, to be one with Him and to wait on Him. To abide is to be completely dependent and to relinquish any right to individualism. To abide is to trust and to be confident that Jesus will nourish, sustain and strengthen us. He will give us exactly what we need when we need it. Just like a branch is kept alive as long as it is connected to the vine, we are kept alive and become fruitful by being connected to Jesus, the “true Vine”.
The posture we are called to adopt as true followers of Christ is that of children. Yes, being childlike is a good thing! It’s the goal rather than something to escape from. True spiritual maturity is shown when believers develop greater reliance on and trust in God. As saints remain in the vine, they bear much fruit, and the Kingdom of God becomes a flourishing garden. The fruit we bear reflects the glory of God and His growing influence among the people of this world.
As with most things, rejecting Jesus’ invitation to abide is an option. It seems hard to imagine why one would, but our adult-like hubris often means it is much easier to say “no thanks” to an offer of help and puff out our chests, insisting we know better. The harm this causes to ourselves is not to be taken lightly. And Jesus’ warning is clear: our failure to abide will lead to our inability to bear fruit and eventual destruction, not as punishment but because we will not survive. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
The reality is that we need Jesus. We need Him to enter the Kingdom and to continue as fruitful partakers in all it has to offer. No matter how certain we are of our own self-sufficiency, we can give up our dreams of growing up and getting free and instead rest, remain, and abide in the loving care of our Saviour. In this is true flourishing and true freedom.
Ask: Why do children look forward to growing up?
Seek: How dependent are you on Jesus for everything you need to survive?
Knock: Spend time today thinking about what you would need help with if you were a child again. No matter how simple, commit those things to God in prayer and ask for His help.
