Have you ever said, "It's such a struggle to be a Christian? I never seem to fix my issues?"
I'm supposed to bear fruit, but it feels like I go one step forward and two backward.
I do all the things but don't feel closer to God. Why?
I'm talking to you today if you ever feel distant from God or struggle to produce fruit or fix your issues.
This episode is also for you if you want to feel closer to God.
I've experienced feeling distant from God most of my teenage and adult life.
Learned to perform at an early age in church. I was the good little girl, but no one saw the struggle on the inside to feel close to God. I wouldn't let them past the mask.
However, our Heavenly Father doesn't want us to live that way. He's given us the key to growing closer to Him and provided a simple, foolproof way to bear fruit and live out our calling.
How, do you ask?
John 15:5 NLT
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing.
1. Branches, our nourishment comes directly from the vine.
What happens if the branch detaches from the vine? It withers from lack of nourishment.
It's the same for us. If we're not connected directly to the vine (Jesus) getting fed from Him, we're like the branch that withers and dies (see John 15:6).
2. Vinedresser - Father - Prunes things off of us that don't serve us.
A vinedresser knows precisely how much sun or shade a vine needs and prunes it accordingly. It removes what's not serving the vine and producing fruit.
Might need to prune:
When we do, it allows us to bear more fruit.
3. Those who remain in the vine bear fruit
Remain (or abide in some translations): not to depart - to be continually present, to be held, kept.
To be held–I like to think of myself being held by my Heavenly Father; then, we will bear fruit.
Remain is in the present active tense, which means we’re to continually remain or continually being held.
Not just showing up once so we can check it off our ever-increasing "to-do list."
The active tense means the subject performs the action.
"If a man remains in me and I in him…."
Wait, there are two subjects here–Jesus and us.
As we continually remain with Jesus–He is also continually remaining with us!
Fruit is a by-product of remaining - abiding in the vine.
The goal here isn't the "bearing fruit." It's going deep in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It's remaining with Jesus. But, because bearing fruit is a by-product of remaining, we will bear fruit.
It's time to stop striving.
It's time to stop all the doing, doing, doing.
It's time to enjoy, remain, rest, and be held by Father.
Take a moment right now and be held by your Heavenly Father.
When you feel like you're not "producing" enough.
Stop–breath–be held by your Heavenly Daddy.
REMAIN with Him, and you WILL produce fruit.
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Thanks a bunch for listening!
Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free
