There are so many spiritual lessons when I garden and it gives me a better understanding of when Jesus urges his disciples to, “Remain in me.”
Let’s read this commandment together:
John 15 The Vine and the Branches
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 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.
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. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Those branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Apart from me you can do nothing.
Jesus repeats himself 7 times in just this one passage. He really wants us to get the fact that if we don’t stay closely connected to him, we are on our own. He cuts off what is not needed so that we can bear much good fruit. The only way to produce good fruit is to stay connected to the vine.
Just like your phone would be dead and no good if it wasn’t connected to the charger, it the same with your faith. Just saying a quick salvation prayer, getting baptized or going to church once a week will not produce fruit. We must actively be connected to the source by spending time daily in prayer, our word and worship.
May your life produce much fruit friends.
Stay Encouraged, Leah
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