Fruitful or Fruitless
By Carlyn Hass – God’s Great Outdoors
John 5:15
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me, you can do nothing.”
Our apple orchard contains at least 10 different types of apples. Some of the fruit ripens in late August, and still others hold out until after the first frost, typically late October. This season, our Lodi apple trees, the first to ripen, didn’t produce any fruit at all. Fruitless. In stark contrast, the Cortland and Connel Reds have an abundant supply. Fruitful.
Have you slowed down recently to be alone, unplugged, and to just abide with our Heavenly Father in silence and asked yourself the questions; Am I abiding in Jesus? Am I fruitful? Am I fruitless?
Friend, the answers to those important questions are vital. Jesus is the vine. He literally provides life, strength, and spiritual food for us.
Are we fully relying on Jesus Christ, knowing that ‘my life is not my own, but I was bought at a price?’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) He willingly died a death He didn’t deserve – for you, for me, for every single person ever created, so that we could have the gift of eternal life. Do we draw our daily strength from His Word and promises? How are we nourished? Do we willingly and eagerly devour His Word to be fed and led in this world?
Or, by contrast, are we self-absorbed, self-sufficient; thinking our life is ours to do with what we want? Do we emphasize the can-do attitude of “I got this” and rely on ourselves for inner strength and accomplishment? Are the world, culture, and unbelieving friends feeding and influencing our thoughts, words and actions?
Jesus’s own words in John chapter 5 reinforce that we are absolutely fruitless without Him. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Apart from Him, what does He say we can do? “Nothing.” Think about that. Really think about that while alone, unplugged and abiding with our Heavenly Father. Ask Him today to abide with you and use you for His glory. Ask Him to make you fruitful.
Our Lodi apple trees, not producing even one apple this year, are a disappointment. It’s sad to look at the fruitless trees and think what could have been.
For you and for me, choosing to be fruitless goes way beyond sadness. It is an eternal tragedy.
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