There have been lots and lots of whirling life thoughts lately. Moments where I just don’t feel worthy of this calling and in the same breath feel like I’m failing miserably in it as well. Today I listened to Francis Chan talk about John 15…I am the true vine. I look at this page often in my Bible because I remember looking in dictionary after dictionary at what “abide” and “bear” really meant. I am new to really reading the Bible so I always have lots of questions, like what words really mean.
Abide: endure, dwell, remain, last, stay, to remain, to reside, stay, reside, await, endure, to dwell, to stay in a place, to remain unchanging, to wait for, to endure.
My heart needed to hear about less to do. Sometimes loving Jesus feels really complicated and overwhelming and more of a laundry list of things to do and be and get in line. I do this to myself…we do this to ourselves. Sometimes we make being a Christ follower so complicated with a list of guidelines…not just dos and do nots, but so much more…Bible studies, small groups, mission groups/trips, ministry opportunities, discipleship, church events and so on. Lately I’ve felt like I was just hanging on by a thread, but lucky for me Jesus says that’s good enough. Just hang on to the vine…stay with Him…abide in Him…dwell in Him…remain in Him…reside in Him…and guess what?? Fruit comes. Fruit comes all because of Him…because we fix our eyes and cling tight to Him…fruit comes. Not because of me…not because of how great I think I am. The Bible says “No one is good except God alone.” No not because of me at all, but because of Him and Him alone.
“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 it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
My heart so needed this reminder today. My head needed this reminder too. Some days feel too big. Some days feel far too complicated and honestly, most of the time I feel like I don’t have one thing figured out. I’m just squeaking by…I’m just trying to tread water…let me just keep afloat. And man, when you feel like that, knowing that Jesus says to just hold onto Him…just stay with Him…that’s crazy good for a weary heart.
Lifting up those weary hearts tonight…all you trench dwellers. He is faithful.
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Great word! Exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you!
Thanking Him for His faithfulness! Thank you for the reminder!
Oh my, each day I feel like “if I could just do it a bit better, if I could have just said those words instead of the words I chose, if I could have just….” and yet, the most amazing thing happens day after day. We get a new beginning each morning. No, I am not a morning person and no I do not spring out of bed each morning but I do rise knowing that God has seen me through another night and wow, I get a do over, a fresh start, another awakening. For this alone, I am so grateful. In the midst of terrible rain storms, threats of tornadoes, and my husband traveling in all of it, I prayed with my kids and like you said, clung to the Vine! Great messsage, please know you are a dear one to each of us who follows your blog. Your heart is very much in the right place.