A Fruitful Branch
Are you a fruitful branch or are you dry and weary? Everyone experiences weariness at times. Maybe you’re weary in doing good, or weary in doing the mundane. This is especially true for parents in the trenches, caring for and training the arrows in their quiver. Exhausting and thankless at times, parenting can consume your energy and derail your dreams. Weariness, like a fog, limits your view to just a few feet in all directions. While you spend the day faithfully serving your family, you forget the source of life that fills you will purpose and joy. When you are caught up in doing, in obeying the work of the Lord, abiding in Him is often neglected.
Words of Jesus
The words of Jesus are both an encouragement and a warning. A fruitful branch is one that abides in Him; a branch disconnected to the Him, dries and withers.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned (John 15:4-6).
Abiding is a Relationship
When we abide in Christ, our focus is on the relationship. For many, it is easier to do than to engage. We are good at doing—go, go, go, do, do, do! Abiding requires slowing down, reflecting, mediating, and worshiping. No time for that, right? Abiding means we hang on every word the Spirit whispers. We are in constant communion with Him, seeking His will, aware of His sovereign rule, talking, listening, and praying to God.
Abiding in Christ means we become a living fountain—a source of love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, mercy, grace, and forgiveness poured out for others. Our life is given for His purposes and our kindness points to a Creator and loving God rather than ourselves and our work. When we obey without abiding, obedience falls flat. The doing becomes fruitless.
O. Chambers says, “…but the greater of the life is not conscious obedience but the maintenance of this relationship—the friend of the Bridegroom” (March 25). What Chambers is saying here, is that abiding in Christ, being in relationship with Him, is more valuable and more important than obedience. Obedience is in response to the relationship.
Teaching a child how to abide is difficult. However, it can be modeled. Young children understand the concept of obeying their parents as a command of the Lord. Often, a child’s willingness to obey is motivated by the love they have for their parent, and a desire to please them. In this, we see how our obedience to the Lord comes from a loving relationship. Without the relationship, obedience is a chore. Without the relationship, obedience is deemed insignificant.
Without the Relationship
As parents, experiencing the connection between obedience and relationship with our children, we can understand the significance of abiding in Christ. Abiding evokes many things. It is constant and on-going. Scripture likens it to a branch on a vine. The vine is the source of life for the branch. Without the vine, the branch dies.
If we are not abiding, we are simply acting out the part of a Christian. Without abiding, we will grow weary, dry, harsh, judgmental, impatient, self-righteous, and deceived. Christ is the reason we live and the source of real life. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20).
Paul Tripp shares the following in New Morning Mercies (March 27), “He is always with you. And because He is always with you, you are never left to the limited resources of your own wisdom, strength, and righteousness.”
Christ died that we might have life, and life abundantly. We are not fully appropriating the gift of God’s Son, if we neglect to abide.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full (John 15:7-11).
Are you weary? We were not created to live life apart from an abiding relationship with Christ. If you are weary or dry, I encourage you to receive nourishment from the Vine so that you might become a fruitful branch. In doing this, you model for your children, the source of real life.
References
Chambers, O. (1935). My utmost for His highest, New international version. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company.
Tripp, P. (2014). New morning mercies; A daily gospel devotional. Wheaton, IL: Crossway