The Living Word Inside Me Makes the Difference
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“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.” (John 15:5, NLT)
For a long time I treated the Bible as a self-help book. I’d read the instructions given and work as hard as I could to obey them. And I would fail. Miserably. Then I’d get upset with myself. Why couldn’t I do it? And I’d get upset with God. Why wasn’t He blessing my efforts?
One day it dawned on me: it doesn’t depend on my frantic self-efforts to live the Christian life. The Bible is not a self-help book, but a revelation of the Living Word–Jesus Christ. (John 1:1-5) He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing” (John 15:5, Amplified).
A branch in a tree doesn’t worry about staying alive or how much fruit it will bring. It’s totally dependent on the life that comes to it from the tree. As long as it abides in the tree, it will have all it needs to flourish and bear fruit.
We are to be like that branch, totally dependent on Christ the vine. We have to die to self-effort and make room for Christ-effort. Let Him live His life in us and through us–moment by moment.
How comforting this is when I face a challenge that is beyond me. “Dear God,” I pray, “You know that in myself, I can’t do this. You said so yourself: “without Me you can do nothing.” But Christ in me can do this. I depend on Him now to work through me.”
The result is often amazing. Not only was the thing done, but there was joy in doing it.
Jesus, I am so prone to doing my own thing. Remind me, again and again, that without You I can do nothing, but with You I can do all things.
Question: How does Jesus’ analogy of the vine and branches apply to the situations you’re facing in your life right now?
