This is so important, so here it is one more time: Our Good Gardener prepares the soil for the best outcome of growth and health for the Roots, Vine and branches. Our wonderful Roots keeps the Vine attached to the soil so that everything that is good can flow through Him to the branches, who bear the Fruit. Our Mighty Vine upholds and sustains each branch so that we can receive all that goodness and grow to bear Fruit. We the branches are blessed beyond measure to be trusted to bear the Fruit. And, lastly, God’s precious Fruit, that the branches bear, will show this broken and lost world that they too can live beyond the circumstances of this world.
“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.” Jn 15:5 NIV
The Father so loves us that He sent the Son to save us by connecting us with the Holy Spirit, so we can display Eternal Life to those around us. And all this happens for everyone’s benefit, especially those who are watching us live this life committed to following God. If you have told someone you are a Christian, then they want to SEE what that means, not only hear about it. It is vital that we confess that we are not going to get it right, all the time. That we are still works in progress. That when we feel weak, we might regress to our old ways, but that this in NO WAY reflects God’s Character. He never changes, while we are still changing, because we are children still learning to act like WHO God is creating us to be.
Too many people view Christians as hypocrites because we say one thing, but may do the opposite. Many times this is not hypocrisy. It is immaturity though. We must preface any interaction with the lost with the disclaimer that, “God is not done with me yet!” This Christian Life is a journey, and our perfection will not be fully realized this side of Heaven. Others need to know this, my Friends, or it just might cause them to turn away from God, instead of to lean into Him.
I am still on this glorious mission! Part of this mission is growing into WHO I was always meant to be. The other part is displaying God’s Fruit, as much as my level of maturity will allow. But praise God that He promises that His Grace is sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2Co 12:9) You see, it is when we admit we cannot live this life alone, that we need His strength, His guidance, His provision, that God shows up strong in our lives. Then we can join St Paul and say, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) That’s a bonus verse for you this week…and an empowering one too!
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12; 15- 2Chron 20:15b; 16- 2Chron 20:17
May: 17- Ro 8:28; 18- 1Co 13:13; 19- Php 2:12; 20- Mt 5:4
June: 21- Lk 23:42; 22- Jas 4:7; 23- Pr 22:6; 24- Mt 5:3; 25- Jn 14:6
July: 26- Jas 2:19; 27- Dt 31:8; 28- Jn 14:15; 29- Jn 8:11
August: 30- Ro 8:1; 31- Pr 4:23; 32- Pr 18:21; 33- Ps 118:24; 34- 1Jn 4:4
September: 35- Mt 16:24; 36- Isa 53:6; 37- Ps 23:1-6
38- Heb 4:12
39- Jn 15:5
<>< Peace, Diane
