The Secret to a Fruitful Life
Photo image courtesy of Pixabay
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
-- John 15:4 NLT
I live in an area with large oak trees, and their canopies provide shade and beauty.
Recently, a couple of trees were taken down, and their stumps were ground away. All that remained of the beautiful trees was sawdust. Many neighbors were disappointed and puzzled about why the trees were cut down.
During a neighborhood meeting, a specialist explained that although the trees looked healthy from our perspective, they were dying and posed a danger. The leaves still provided shade, but the trees were gradually dying. Their life source had been compromised over time, weakening their root systems and eventually causing their death.
The trees still looked good but were no longer productive and could fall at any moment, becoming a danger.
In John 15, Jesus uses the metaphor of a vine, which is a perennial plant with branches similar to a tree.
A perennial is lasting and permanent, much like our spirits when we have a relationship with Christ.
He emphasizes the importance of staying connected to Him to be fruitful, rather than disconnecting and being cut off from Him.
Remaining connected to Christ, our source of life, makes us fruitful. With a spirit united to Christ, we influence the world with God's message of hope. But when we disconnect from Jesus, we lose our source of a fruitful life, even if outwardly we appear fine.
Like vines and trees, we need a strong root system to bear fruit. Jesus is the life force that must flow through us so we can thrive and produce fruit.
We might appear as if we are thriving on the outside. We can pretend to feel contentment, joy, and peace for a little while.
But if we are disconnected from Christ and have not surrendered to God, our fruit will begin to show signs of decay, like the oak trees in my neighborhood.
Despite our appearance on the outside, God knows our spirits and longs for us to be in relationship with Him.
A growing relationship with Christ transforms us and enables us to bear His fruit.
Signs we are fruitful.
- The joy of the Lord flows from us regardless of our circumstances
- Prayer and Bible Study are the primary tools we use to guide our actions and thoughts
- Recovery after pain, loss, rejection, and mistakes is possible. Failure does not define us.
- Love becomes our default emotion, which forms the foundation for how we connect with others.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Are you willing to be pruned?
2. If so, what types of things can you do in your daily life to become more fruitful?
