Depending on the Vine:

I have been starting a new book for my quiet times. This book is called, “Jesus,” by Max Lucado.  This book has been a good reminder of all who Jesus is.  Even though we as Christians can often believe we know who Jesus is, it is good to be reminded about all the Characteristics God has and all the things He has done for us. 

One big reminder is that Jesus is the vine.  We as His followers are his branches. This is stated in John 15.  John 15 describes this whole scene of us as followers being connected and linked to Jesus via this Spiritual vine. One of the best verses from this chapter is John 15:5 which says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  

I have always known this verse fairly well.  However, one thing I really enjoyed was reading Max Lucado’s take on this passage.  This is what He said in his book. “We Christians tend to miss this. We banter about pledges to ‘change the world,’ ‘make a difference for Christ,’ ‘lead people to the Lord.’  Yet these are by-products of the Christ-focused life. Our goal is not to bear fruit.  Our goal is to stay attached.”  (pg. 90).  I love this because it simplifies our goal.  Our goal is to stay attached to the vine. 

It can be a good thing to make goals and to try to grow closer to God.  However, the only way we are going to do this is through spending time with Christ and staying attached to Him. This is spending time in prayer with God.  This is spending time in God’s Word and understanding what the words truly mean for our lives.   This is also spending time meditating on certain parts of the Bible, so we can have a piece of the Bible memorized for our future.  We can read the Bible, but understanding and meditating on the Bible is really what would help us better live like Christ. 

I think it can be easy to try to go about things on our own.  We can believe we are the ones who are completely in charge.  This is what the world tells us anyway.  They tell us, we can do anything if we set our minds to it or if we just believe in ourselves.  However, we can also know it isn’t that simple.  There are certain things we are not called to do.  There are plans God has for us, and these things He has planned for us are the things we are going to achieve.  How will we know which plans are the ones God has given us?  We will know when we get closer to the Lord. We will know when we spend more time being dependent on the vine. 

If I am honest, the way I sometimes am disconnected from the vine is through my work.  My work is working with those who are low income in Waterloo. I love this opportunity to serve these families in my community.  However, sometimes when the job gets hard, or when I am discouraged by the work, I just try to tune into myself.  I try to find ways to do the job better all on my own.  This is definitely a situation where I can depend on God to help me in my work and to help the families I serve to really make a change in their life, by overcoming poverty and making a better life for their families. 

The challenge for this week is to spend time reading the Bible.  I say this because sometimes when we don’t spend time just diving into God’s Word, just simply reading it, then we can forget the words and the message of Christ.  This can really help us understand the areas where we are not always connected to the vine. I already mentioned that I need to depend on the vine more when it comes to my work.  However, I also need to depend on the Lord when it comes to my exercise.  I have a few upcoming goals this year of doing a marathon and finishing RAGBRAI.  I am a bit nervous about some of these events coming up.  I need to remember to depend on God for all these things. 

I pray that throughout this week, you will feel more connected to the vine.  I pray you will see the Lord more clearly and all his plans He has for you.  I pray that this connection to the vine will ease your heart and your mind.