Who You Hang With
December 4, 2018
“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.” John 15:5
Jesus used word pictures to convey the deepest truths in the simplest ways. To explain our relationship with Him and how it works, He explained that He was the Vine, and we are the branches. We are only able to live, grow, and thrive as we remain connected, we “hang” with Him. When we do hang with Him, when we remain in Him and Him in us, we bear much fruit. The fruit of our faithful relationship with Him changes everything about who we are and how we practically live life.
The Apostle Paul described in his famous writing called “The Love Chapter” (I Corinthians 13) what that fruit looks like:
Love - Affection for others
Joy - Exuberance about life
Peace - Serenity
Patience - A willingness to stick with things
Kindness - A sense of compassion in the heart
Goodness - A conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people
Faithfulness - Involved in loyal commitments
Gentleness - Not needing to force our way in life
Self-control - Able to marshal and direct our energies wisely
That’s the epitome of the detoxed, free, and fruitful life. That’s what living supernaturally looks like. And it comes from who we hang with. He is the Vine - we must choose to remain in Him, every moment of every day. Jesus said that to disconnect from Him makes us unable to do anything of value.
The fruit describes who you want to be. Remaining in Him describes how you get there.
- How would you rate yourself on remaining? On your moment to moment connection with the vine?
- Where do you see fruit growing from your connection?
- Pray and ask Jesus to help you make the daily choice to stay tightly connected.