That Whole Fruit Metaphor

Life is busy! Going to work, spending your eight hours, coming home, spending family time, getting back into the car for football practice or whatever, and don't forget Sunday morning Church, Sunday Night Church, Wednesday night church, Small Group, choir practice, leadership meetings... the list goes on. In fact, we can be so busy doing... stuff... that it's easy to suddenly realize we've forgotten time for God.

This can be especially true for people in ministry. Good works take time. But often, while we're busy trying to bear our own fruit, we forget to stay connected to the Vine.

Jesus said

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. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:5-7)

We don't bear fruit in ourselves. Indeed, without our connection to Jesus Christ, we are useless. And the only way to stay connected to Jesus is to be connected. For a branch to bear fruit, it must be connected to the Vine. A branch has no roots. Only the Vine -- the Source -- has roots to feed water and nutrients to its branches. When we're disconnected from that vine, we get neither. 

I'm learning this lesson in my own life: that I need time with God. I need to spend time talking to Him -- and more importantly, opening myself up to be talked to by Him. We must allow ourselves to be fed by God, to grow in Him, and to produce His fruit. And that requires connection. 

And Connection requires time.