Abiding or swinging by for a visit?

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Whenever I think of vines, I think of two things. The first are the words spoken by Jesus in John 15:5. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (NIV). The second is a monkey swinging through the jungle on vines.

There is something that resonates in the way both the branch and the monkey relate to the vine. The branch steadfastly holds onto the source of its life come rain, snow, hail or high wind. The connection is intimate. That which is the vine runs through the branch. Without the vine, there is no fruit. But with the vine - now that’s another story! With the vine, the branch produces beautiful, succulent fruit that brings joy to all and glory to the vine.

While the branch holds steadfastly to the vine, the monkey swings through the jungle grabbing the vine only as a means to propel himself from place to place. He grabs hold of the vine momentarily to prevent a devastating fall to the floor of the jungle. As he holds onto the vine, he is lifted high. Soon he lets go and is on his way until the next time he feels himself begin to fall. Then he grabs the vine and the cycle begins again.

Jesus says we can do nothing without him. Even our most earnest attempts at fruit-bearing amount to nothing unless we are abiding in him. Yet it is likely that our true state of abiding is somewhere between the branch and the monkey. Balancing important areas of our lives such family, friends, ministry, work, and classes can be overwhelming. In dealing with the busyness of every day life, we may unintentionally succumb into the monkey’s way of relating to the vine. We rise and fall, often reaching for the vine only on the down sweep of our travels through the jungle that is our lives. We may just swing by for a visit instead of abiding with the vine, our Lord.

If you feel more like the monkey than the branch, know that you are not alone. There are many who feel the same way. Remember that there is no condemnation for we are in Christ Jesus. No matter how wrapped up we have become in the jungle of our lives, he stands ready to receive us. All we need to do is reach out for the vine that is always there and hang on tight like the branch. Hang on in intimate connection with the vine through the storms of overwhelming schedules and commitments. When we do this, we will experience the incomparable joy of abiding with the vine and we will produce beautiful fruit to the glory of the vine, our Lord!

Prayer:
Father God, I confess that I often respond to urgencies in a way that pushes you to the sidelines. Forgive me for this sin against you. Draw me to you this week that I might grow more deeply in relationship with you and that I might bear fruit which brings you glory. In Jesus’ matchless name. Amen.

Sharing our journeys:
Do you feel more like the branch or the monkey?
What are the greatest challenges you experience in keeping your relationship with Jesus growing?