“I am the vine; you are the branches.” John 15:5
We used to have an extra deep freezer for overflow food. It was a medium sized chest type with a small power-on indicator light on the front. It was three days before we noticed that light was out! Actually, it wasn’t the darkened light that caught my eye, it was the defrosted food. The power cord got knocked out of the socket.
We had been walking past that freezer for days and had not missed the small yellow glow on the front. The freezer was still there but the power was not. The wilted food told the story. Some of it survived but most of it was lost.
My cell phone needs recharged daily. My car can go about 400 miles on a tank. The flowers I bought Vickie lasted three weeks.
When the battery is dead, my cell phone shuts down. When my car runs out gas, it refuses to go any farther. When the flowers dry up, the pedals fall off.
Unfortunately, as Christians the missing light of God’s love in others goes unnoticed until sin makes it evident that they had cut themselves off the vine (power). We might look good for a time, but the truth comes out sooner or later. Jesus made it perfectly clear. We must stay attached to the vine if we hope to bear good fruit. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4
Though this simple truth is easy to understand, it is not always applied to our fast-paced life. We get busy doing “good” things at church and neglect the “God” things related to our spiritual life.
What did Jesus mean “remain in me?”
There are three essentials to the disciplined spiritual life that if neglected for long will lead to spiritual drought and sin:
- Daily personal prayer life
- Daily reading and meditation on God’s Word
- Regular worship attendance
Prayer connects us with God. Daily reading in His Word keeps us fed spiritually and our faith strong. Regular worship helps us stay charged, motivated and connected with other believers.
Throw in some spiritual supplements like corporate prayer, personal and small group Bible study, fellowship with other Christians and you will not only maintain but grow a closer walk with God.
With all that in mind, do me a favor? As you pass by the mirror, check for the glow of the light!
Blessed by you… Bro. Sherman
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