Hello everyone, Alessandra's sister here! I had the honor of being asked to write as her guest blogger this week, and I couldn't be more thrilled to do so! Right away I thought "I'll just write something sweet and encouraging about Christmas!" But when I asked the Lord what to share this week, He kept taking me back to John 15. This came as no surprise since He has been teaching me for weeks now the importance of remaining one with Him at all times. Let's take this chapter apart one piece at a time...
John 15:1-2 "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more."
Our Father is the true vine, which tells me that there must be other "vines" out there that we can become attached to, perhaps even unknowingly at times. Other vines can be pretty much anything that we idolize or give more attention to than we do God. Some examples: cares of this world, popularity, status at work, physical appearance, or any other empty filler we have access to. All of those will bring instant gratification but nothing that truly lasts. The stability our hearts search for will only come from the Author of Life as we faithfully draw near to and abide in Him. And it gets even better; as we continue to walk with Him, He corrects us where we miss it so that His grace can take us to a deeper place where roots will take form and yield a more bountiful harvest! What favor!
Let's skip to verses 5-6, " Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned."
So what happens when we choose not to stay connected to our Father, or what about those who have not yet committed their lives to Him? Let me just tell you the obvious, this is not a good place to be. I have heard other believers and even myself say something along the lines of, "that was just a spiritually dry season for me..." I have begun to realize why we experience times like these and I also know it is completely up to us whether or not we accept them as the "usual". "Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers." Hmmm...let's think for a moment, how would you describe the appearance and purpose of a withered plant? Dry? Useless? Well, it certainly doesn't look pretty! And what's the point of having a dried up plant lying around anyways? It certainly isn't aesthetically pleasing...it kind of just takes up space! This is exactly what happens when we disconnect ourselves from the living water found only in Jesus. We know that our own strength will get us only so far and having to rely on ourselves is in no way an enjoyment. I personally remember times in my life where I was leaning on my own understanding, and let me tell you...it burned; it was painful! I had deprived my Spirit of the very One who could feed and sustain it. Grace found me, restoration began to took place, and I came to the point where jeopardizing my reputation, sacrificing my personal comfort and even some relationships no longer mattered. I knew in the end I would gain everything! Jesus is my life! Now for the next step: obedience...
John 15:10-11, " When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!"
It's hard to listen to and follow through with someone's instructions if you do not trust them, and you cannot really trust the person (God in this case) until you first get to know them; and it's difficult to develop a relationship with someone whom one day you speak with and the next you ignore or want nothing to do with! Let's be consistent sons and daughters of God.
What does this all mean though? I believe the empowerment to consistently obey God or submit to His yieldings comes only when we commune with Him on a day-to-day basis. And from what we read in verses 10-11, obedience yields joy! But the truth is, our hearts don't become sensitive to God and desire to honor Him until we first rest in Him. "Dwell in me and I will dwell in you..." He is looking for a people to abide and make His home in. This kicks the toil of religion out of the picture and relationship takes its place. We now know that the sense of completion our hearts have been longing for comes from one source whom we cannot help but glorify and follow all the days of our lives.
Abiding in God will shift our focus to the spiritual things that are eternal and everlasting, all that will matter in the end. Now, you may ask, "What about all the other parts of life He wants me to enjoy, all that I've been believing for? The Lord has assured me time and time again: He will give you all you need from day to day, as you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern! Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
I pray this blessed you, Merry Christmas!
Lots of Love,
Antoinette (: xx
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