Day 2694 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge. John 15:4. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. NIV
To bear fruit. That’s pretty much what we’ve been talking about for nearly a week now. The fact is that each of us really do have a role to play in the story of our faith that is far bigger than simply receiving blessings. But all too often that’s all we set our sights on. We just want the peace. We want the hope. We want the joy. We want the beautiful promises of an eternal home free from pain and misery and sadness. But we pull back a bit when it comes to actually having to get our hands dirty and contribute to our faith.
Why is that I wonder? Is it because we’re so accustomed to this world in which we live that teaches us all to do nothing but consume? Is it that we’re still perhaps a little too focused on ourselves and our comfort and our desires and our goals? Is it because we think we’re too small and insignificant to do anything of eternal worth or meaning? Is it because we doubt that Christ can actually work through us? Is it because of all the lies we’ve allowed ourselves to believe that keep us at the very outer extent of what our faith can truly be?
Whatever the reason or excuse, it’s something that we need to learn to see as a stumbling block that we’re setting up for ourselves. The truth is that we can make a difference. We can do some amazing things. We can further the Gospel. We can reach out and help cut through the darkness that our brothers and sisters are lost within. We can rise up and rebuke the lies and wickedness that has much of this world entangled and enslaved. We can stand up to evil and wickedness and refuse to let them take another inch or another moment of our lives.
But all too often we don’t because our faith isn’t what it ought to be. As we’ve discussed several times over the 7+ years of these posts, our faith isn’t just a hobby or a weekend pastime. It’s meant to be the very bread we eat and the water we drink and the air we breathe and the desire of our everyday life. It’s what causes our heart to beat for Jesus which pushes us to want everyone else to be able to experience that same kind of joyous freedom for themselves. And that’s why we need to get in the game and do what He calls us to do.
To bear fruit. To spread the news of His impending return. To share the Gospel with anyone who hasn’t already heard it, and even those who maybe need a little refresher. To live our lives in such a way that make our faith as evident as the color of our eyes. To do everything for the glory of our Father in Heaven. To strive to make things better, even if the chances of that happening are slim as we’re in a world absolutely in love with everything evil. To stop with the excuses, to end the doubt, to die to self, and to live as if it’s not just our lives that depend on our willingness to go where He points us.
But through it all, the whole key to our faith and the success of our work here is that we remain in Christ. We can’t do this by ourselves. We really can’t do much of anything by ourselves, at least nothing of real worth or meaning. All too often we simply settle for focusing on the things that we want or that we feel the need to accomplish for ourselves in this hollow desire to prove our worth to a world that honestly couldn’t care less whether we’re here or not. We need to move past our prior pursuits and fully give ourselves to the opportunities we’ve been given to play a part in this incredible story of salvation and hope.
The thing is that, as with most things, it comes down to a choice. Christ will never leave us, never forsake us, never lead us someplace and fail to ensure that we’re equipped to do the job He needs us to do. But it’s up to us to choose to remain in Him. To choose to do what He asks us to do, even when it doesn’t make any sense or seem anywhere close to logical. To follow the example He came to give us and devote our lives to helping absolutely everyone see the love that He has for all of us. To lay down our lives, forsake our doubt, and step out of the boat into the unknown where we have nothing left but to focus on Him and trust in His provision.
Friends, much of our lives of faith will not make sense and will seem completely impossible. But, if we remain in Christ as He remains in us, then we will bear fruit. We will do some amazing things in His name and for His glory. We will make a difference. How could we not? We’re in a world that’s growing darker by the day, so reflecting His light in this place is sure to stir things up and be noticed by those who are desperate for hope and paying attention to anything that may bring them some joy to replace their sorrow.
As we’ve been talking about for several days, you and I are more than we often consider. We’re called to be servant leaders, humble teachers, passionate disciples, and a people with hearts set on doing the work our King needs us to do as we know that it will have a massive impact in the lives of those that He calls us to reach. There is nothing small or insignificant about any of that! But we doubt in ourselves and doubt in our faith and end up failing to actually experience what He put us here to do as a result.
The sad part is that due our choices, our fear, our doubt, we usually end up settling for lives lived on the outskirts of what’s possible in our faith. We don’t accomplish much of any value or importance and we think it’s because we’re not meant to or able to do so. But perhaps it’s because we’re not really remaining in the Vine as we’re called to do. Maybe it’s because our hearts and minds are still saving room for a little bit of this world or a little bit of our own ideas or a little bit of our selfish goals. Maybe it’s just because we’ve not yet poured ourselves out so that Christ can fill us with the Holy Spirit He promised to those who accept Him into their hearts and give their lives to serving His will.
Friends, we can do amazing things, things we don’t think possible. We can help people. We can make things better. We can spread a little hope and bring a little joy to a hurting world. We can help someone else learn about Jesus and set them on a path toward Him that leads to their eternal salvation. But only if we remain in Him, stay focused on Him, devote our hearts to seeking His glory, and our minds to fulfilling His will. There is nothing that He can’t do through us, but only if we stay connected to Him.
Without Him, we’ll never accomplish anything. But with Him, there isn’t anything that we can’t accomplish! So if our lives aren’t seeming to accomplish much when it comes to our faith, then maybe we need to stop and make sure we’re connected to the Vine that gives life to that faith and gives us the chance to grow and flourish. Maybe our lack of fruit just means we can be a little closer our King.
Again, we’re not here to just take up space and twiddle our thumbs until Christ comes back and we finally get the promise that we never even tried to live as if we’re thankful for having. We’re here to bear fruit for our King, you know, the One who gave us that beautiful promise! No, we can’t earn it or deserve it, but we can at least spend our time here living as if we’re thankful for the salvation we’ve been given. And we do that by bearing fruit through telling others about that gift and helping them see a little bit of Christ in us through our words and actions and faith. Our lives are meant to have purpose, and if they don’t, then maybe we’re not connected to the source of our purpose!
