http://mountaintopcampground.com/type/image/ The trees in our backyard were bending and bowing under the relentless tornado-force winds. Rain was pelting the ground, the skies dark and ominous, as we took shelter from the harrowing squall in our basement.
We emerged from the storm termed a Derecho by meteorologists, to see the mass destruction it had caused throughout our neighborhood, and throughout the Midwest. Downed trees, and fallen power lines, and traffic lights were a common sight as we drove around, witnessing the sheer devastation the storm had wrought throughout the Quad Cities area.
Many had lost power in our area, and we were no exception. Little did we know, it wouldn’t just be for a few hours, but days without electricity powering our home.
At this time, I was working from home and greatly relied on having stable internet access in order to do my job. It was difficult to stay connected with my supervisor and be able to get my main tasks completed for work.
With laundry piling up, the August heat unrelenting, and having to continually rotate ice out in our coolers full of refrigerated food items, we quickly realized how much we take basic access to electricity for granted! There would be times I would wake up in the morning and flip a switch and quickly be reminded, “Oh yeah, the electricity is down.”
It was hard to accomplish much except to just survive and wait it out. We felt frustrated, tired, sweaty, bored, and restless as we counted down the hours and days until power was restored.
Our main problem was that we were not connected to the source, the source of electricity. The electricity that would usually course through the now downed power lines, was cut off. It caused us to go into survival mode, and we were not really thriving or productive during that time; rather stagnant and listless.
Many times in our walk with Christ, we go days or even weeks or months without being connected to the Source, and we wonder why we feel like we are in survival mode all the time, just hanging on by a thread. Without going to God continually, our source, we feel fruitless, empty, tired, and aimless.
Connect to the Source
In the book of John 15:1-11, Jesus tells His disciples just how absolutely vital it is to be connected continuously to the Source:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Fruitless Apart From The Source
Jesus uses the analogy of a vine and its branches to describe what He means when He says that we must abide in Him. Abiding is compared to how a plant receives its nutrients from its roots, and grows, producing fruit. Disconnected from the roots, the source of nutrients, the branches dry out and are useless except for fuel for a fire in a brush pile.
Have you ever felt like you were at the end of yourself? Like you have nothing left to give?
Have you gone through your days, feeling like you accomplished nothing of real, lasting value?
The hard truth is that in and of ourselves, we have nothing really valuable to give others, apart from God, apart from our source. God is the source of all life, love, truth, joy, and true purpose. (John 14:6, 1 John 4:8, Acts 17:28, Nehemiah 8:10)
Our growth in the Lord comes to a standstill when we are not plugged into the source. We can accomplish NOTHING apart from him. We will continue to spin our wheels in futility, until we are abiding in Him daily!
(While writing this just now, I went frantically searching for an outlet to plug in my laptop that was low on battery. The irony is not lost on me. I need to plug into the source!)
How Do I Connect to The Source?
So, how DO we connect to the source, HOW do we abide in Christ daily?
When reading Psalm chapter one, I wonder if Jesus had this Psalm in mind when talking to his disciples about the importance of abiding in Him. There are so many parallels to John 15 in Psalm 1.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
The Psalm writer compares the wicked man and the righteous man, and how they live their lives, and ultimately the fruit their lives produce. The righteous man meditates on God’s word night and day, and is compared to a tree with direct access to a flowing stream. He produces fruit and it does not whither, but prospers. The wicked man does not plant himself in God’s word, and is compared to chaff, the outer shell of wheat, or the waste product that blows away in the wind when the wheat is thrown in the air to help separate out the grain. The Psalmist continues on to say that, their way will perish, all of their efforts in this life are futile and forgotten.
The Bible has a lot to say about those that live a life independent of God and how their lives are worthless, useless, and fruitless, —
(Ezekiel 15, Ezekiel 22:15-22, Romans 3:12, Ephesians 5:11, Jeremiah 2:5, Matthew 3:7-10).
It also says that those that are God’s children should bear fruit, and flourish, (John 10:10, John 15:16, Galatians 5:16-26, Psalm 92:14, Colossians 1:10, Jeremiah 17:7-8). In John 15:8, Jesus says that we prove we are His disciples by bearing fruit! Bearing fruit is part of our identity, and who we are in Christ! A non-fruit-producing Christian, is an oxymoron!
So in short, we bear fruit by spending time with God in His word, meditating on it, praying it back to God, letting it change us, and the way we live. We don’t live a life independent of God’s word, rather we are reliant on Him and receive direction for all of life from His word.
When we let the word of God fill us and change us by being in it daily, and doing what it says, we will bear much fruit. We will have a closeness with God beyond description, walking in His purposes for our lives, and being a blessing to others.
Blessed to be a Blessing
So, what does bearing fruit look like in the life of a believer? Colossians chapter 3 give us a picture of what this should look like in our daily lives, especially in verse 16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another –
in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” This exhortation from the Apostle Paul shows that there is an outflow that happens when we let God’s word dwell in us richly, when we connect to Him through His word!
Abiding in Christ is not just for ourselves, for the amazing connection we have with God, and the peace and purpose that results from it. It is not just a cozy time with God and a cup of coffee, but rather a time for us to fill up so that we can then pour out!
Like a pond with no outward flow of water becomes stagnant, so will we if we only take in water but never let it flow out. Abiding in Christ is supposed to equip us for action!
Right after telling the disciples about how important it is to Abide in God, he immediately turns around and says in verses 12 – 15; “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
We are not meant to fill up on God and then keep the blessings all to ourselves, but we are blessed to be a blessing to others! We are meant to share this life-giving source with the people in our lives. How exciting?!
God fills us up, and then gives us a mission to complete, while equipping us with all we need to carry it out! “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) What an amazing God we serve!
That Your Joy May Be Full
After Jesus told his disciples about abiding in Him, he said the reason why he shared it was so that their “joy would be full”! Jesus knows He is the source of all joy, love, truth, and life, and He offers Himself to us. Are we going to take Him up on His amazing offer, or are we going to stay self-reliant, stubborn, and continue trying to live life our own way?
Are you tired of living life your way, spinning your wheels and getting nowhere? Surrender to Jesus today. He is a sweet savior, who says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
You need the Source, Jesus Christ! Come find purpose, joy, love, life in Him today and everyday, as you abide in Him!
Administrative Assistant, Delilah Pugsley
Delilah has been at Wildwood since 2019 when her husband Josh was hired on as Youth Director. Delilah and Josh met in Bible college and were married in 2013. Delilah enjoys writing, photography, hiking, and paddle boarding with Josh.
