Is your branch connected to the vine?

First and foremost, I want to say a Happy New Year from all of the writers here at All The More! We are so thankful for each and every one of you!

As I ring in 2017, sitting at home watching the ball drop, I can’t help but to process and pick apart all that 2016 was for me. And if I’m being honest, it wasn’t really all that great. It wasn’t horrible, (I’m sure others had a much more trying year than I had), but it wasn’t exactly great either. I was unemployed for majority of the summer. I lost my last grandparent and a very close family friend. The stress of an ongoing complicated living situation was emotionally draining. Add in all of the commitments I agreed to; from leading a small group, serving on the board of an academic honor society, and being involved in a young adult ministry at church. Plus the usual work, graduate classes, and practicum for my degree. Oh, and trying to fit in self care, time with family, and sustaining somewhat of a social life. As you probably can imagine, it didn’t take long for me to feel burnt out.

Spiritually, 2016 was one of the hardest years I have ever had.  It was a constant struggle to sit down and just be with God. And when I did find that time, something always felt off. It was like I was running in slow motion towards Him, but something was dragging me in a different direction.

A few weeks ago, I was encouraged by a friend to fight passed the force that seemed to pull me away from God. It was probably the first time I spent quality time with God in over a month or so.  I sat down and I prayed. I journaled and I cried. I didn’t even realize how weighed down I had felt by everything. It was relieving to sit down and process how burnt out, alone, and isolated I had been feeling and to know that despite the low place I was in spiritually, my God was still there!

He still loved me and cared about me despite my doubts and wandering heart.

As I was writing, a question randomly popped into my mind, “Are you securely connected to the vine?”. At first, I had no idea what this even could mean and was completely confused by how I even started thinking about this, until I suddenly remembered that I had read it in the bible years ago. After frantically flipping through my bible I googled, “the vine and the branches” and there it was; John 15.

As I began to read the passage a few verses in particular stood out to me:

“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. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

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. These words hit me, and they hit me hard. As I read them I realized that I had not been fully remaining in Jesus. I was trying to do all of these things on my own and I would use Him as a slight crutch just to get by. I was burnt out and struggling because the more I tried to do on my own, the more fragile my branch became. It was hanging on at its weakest point, where it could snap at any moment. I wasn’t constantly remaining in Jesus. I wasn’t bearing fruit. I felt alone and isolated because I was the branch that was withering away. I had no joy. I had no happiness. Day by day I just numbly went through the motions.

In reading this passage I realized that I didn’t have to continue to be the withering branch that was hanging on by a thread, nor did I want to be. I could be the branch that was securely attached to the vine. I could be the branch that bears fruit and has an abundance of joy and love from the vine. In fact, that’s what God wants for us. He wants to fulfill and sustain us, today, and every day.

Just as a  branch must be connected to the vine to survive, thrive, and flourish, so must we be connected to Jesus to do the same! To remain in Jesus means that you are content in Jesus. It means that he is sufficient for you; that he is enough. To remain in Jesus means that you must continuously draw your nourishment from Him and Him alone. For me, this means always being connected to Him through reading His Truth (the bible) and talking to him daily (through prayer) and trusting him with all of me. It means constantly trusting that his plan is bigger and better, than anything I could ever plan for myself. It means having hope in the good times and in the bad times. It means having faith even when my doubt may be bigger than my unbelief. To remain in Jesus is to seek him with all of yourself, always.  

Friends, we don’t have to wait for the New Year to look forward to a new start. We don’t have to wait to start taking those steps to seek Him. Jesus offers us new mercies every morning, with the opportunity to grow closer in our relationship with Him and be the branch that is securely attached to the vine of Life. All we have to do is remain in Him.

It is my prayer, that each one of you would take time to reflect on this past year in relation to your walk with God. What kind of branch were you? And more importantly, what type of branch do you want to be? What will you do to make sure you remain in Him, the One who is worthy of our praise, love, and attention?

You may also like